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| Finland votes in tight election | |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| Finland's 4.3m voters are going to the polls, in an election which the centre-left governing coalition is expected to win. | |
| However it is unclear whether Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen will remain in office for a second four-year term. | However it is unclear whether Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen will remain in office for a second four-year term. |
| His Centre party has a narrow lead in opinion surveys over its main partner, the Social Democrats. | His Centre party has a narrow lead in opinion surveys over its main partner, the Social Democrats. |
| The centre-right National Coalition, the main opposition party, is expected to make gains but not to win power. | The centre-right National Coalition, the main opposition party, is expected to make gains but not to win power. |
| The BBC's Julian Isherwood in the region says the main interest in the election will be whether Mr Vanhanen of Centre manages to meet off a challenge from his Social Democratic Finance Minister Eero Heinaluoma. | |
| The largest party in the polls traditionally forms a parliamentary majority and names the prime minister. | The largest party in the polls traditionally forms a parliamentary majority and names the prime minister. |
| The main issues in the election campaign have been welfare and the level of further tax cuts that the government wants to introduce. | The main issues in the election campaign have been welfare and the level of further tax cuts that the government wants to introduce. |
| Care for the elderly has been a major issue since Finland has one of Europe's most rapidly ageing populations. | Care for the elderly has been a major issue since Finland has one of Europe's most rapidly ageing populations. |