Icelandic voters give centre-left opposition narrow election win

Icelanders voted in favour of aleft-leaning four-party coalition in parliamentary elections, afinal vote count showed Sunday, although it remained unclear whowould get a mandate to form the next government.

The left-leaning coalition of the Left-Green Movement, theSocial Democrats, the Progressive Party and the Pirate Party won32 seats in the 63-member parliament, the narrowest possiblemajority, polls published by state broadcaster RUV showed.

The Independence Party, led by incumbent Prime MinisterBjarni Benediktsson, remained the biggest party with 25 per centof the votes but suffered a setback.

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It was clear that the vote meant the ousting of hiscentre-right government after a scandal involving the primeminister's father.

President Gudni Johannesson has yet to hand the mandate tothe party that will be tasked with forming the next government.The president normally gives the mandate to the head of thebiggest party.