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| Czech election: Social Democrats lead but no clear winner | Czech election: Social Democrats lead but no clear winner |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| An election held to resolve months of uncertainty in the Czech Republic has failed to produce a clear winner. | An election held to resolve months of uncertainty in the Czech Republic has failed to produce a clear winner. |
| With all the ballots counted, the Social Democrats have the most votes - just over 20% - but they do not have enough to form a government alone. | With all the ballots counted, the Social Democrats have the most votes - just over 20% - but they do not have enough to form a government alone. |
| Analysts say the result could pave the way for another unstable coalition, with the second-placed ANO party in a powerful bargaining position. | Analysts say the result could pave the way for another unstable coalition, with the second-placed ANO party in a powerful bargaining position. |
| The election has come after months of political turmoil. | The election has come after months of political turmoil. |
| The centre-right government of Petr Necas was brought down by a corruption scandal in June. | The centre-right government of Petr Necas was brought down by a corruption scandal in June. |
| The country has been without a proper administration ever since - and is currently being governed by a caretaker cabinet of technocrats. | The country has been without a proper administration ever since - and is currently being governed by a caretaker cabinet of technocrats. |
| Tough talks ahead | Tough talks ahead |
| Correspondents say that this election is likely be followed by weeks of difficult negotiations. | Correspondents say that this election is likely be followed by weeks of difficult negotiations. |
| The BBC's Rob Cameron, in Prague, says the Social Democrats had hoped to win enough to run the country if they were supported or at least tolerated by the Communists. | The BBC's Rob Cameron, in Prague, says the Social Democrats had hoped to win enough to run the country if they were supported or at least tolerated by the Communists. |
| But even together, they do not have enough votes to form a government, he says. | But even together, they do not have enough votes to form a government, he says. |
| That opens the way for arduous talks on forming a coalition with some of the other parties in parliament. | That opens the way for arduous talks on forming a coalition with some of the other parties in parliament. |
| Social Democrat leader Bohuslav Sobotka admitted the results of the election were "not what we expected,'' but he told reporters he was ready to start negotiations with all parties. | |
| Our correspondent says the real winner in this election is second-placed ANO, a new centrist party which campaigns against corruption and is run by a food and agriculture billionaire. | Our correspondent says the real winner in this election is second-placed ANO, a new centrist party which campaigns against corruption and is run by a food and agriculture billionaire. |
| ANO has almost 19% of the vote, and the Communists have just over 15%. | ANO has almost 19% of the vote, and the Communists have just over 15%. |
| The leader of ANO, Andrej Babis, has told reporters he could not envisage supporting a Social Democrat cabinet. | The leader of ANO, Andrej Babis, has told reporters he could not envisage supporting a Social Democrat cabinet. |
| Our correspondent says this election is being seen as a referendum on the relative popularity of the established parties - which have governed the Czech Republic for 20 years - and a crowd of colourful new parties. | Our correspondent says this election is being seen as a referendum on the relative popularity of the established parties - which have governed the Czech Republic for 20 years - and a crowd of colourful new parties. |
| Analysts say ANO was able to attract voters who had grown weary of the status quo, despite Mr Babis' membership of the Communist Party before the 1989 revolution. | Analysts say ANO was able to attract voters who had grown weary of the status quo, despite Mr Babis' membership of the Communist Party before the 1989 revolution. |
| Meanwhile the Civic Democrats, the main party in the previous centre-right coalition, only received 7.7% of the vote. | |
| "It's a fatal loss,'' the party's acting chairman, Martin Kuba, told reporters. | |
| The coalition broke down in June amid allegations of corruption, spying and abuse of power. | |
| A close aide of Prime Minister Petr Necas, with whom he was having an affair, was arrested on suspicion of bribery and ordering a military intelligence agency to follow Mr Necas' estranged wife. |