No majority for Congo parliament

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Results from the Democratic Republic of Congo's parliamentary polls leave the president's party with the biggest tally of seats but no overall majority.

Out of 500 seats Joseph Kabila's PPRD took 111 seats and the MLC party of his main rival Jean-Pierre Bemba took 64.

The other seats were won by smaller parties and independents.

Incumbent President Kabila and ex-rebel leader Mr Bemba will face each other in a run-off next month after neither won 50% of the presidential vote.

More than 9,700 candidates ran in the legislative election and 32 stood in the first round of the presidential election.

DR CONGO RESULTS BY PROVINCE PARLIAMENT: Kabila's PPRD: 111Bemba's MLC: 64Other parties: 325 Source: CEIPRESIDENTIAL: Joseph Kabila: 45% Jean-Pierre Bemba: 20%Antoine Gizenga: 13%Turnout: 70% Source: CEI

"According to electoral law, the prime minister must come from the parliamentary majority. Political alliances are now inevitable to form such a majority," said Independent ElectoralCommission spokesman Dieudonne Mirimo, quoted by Reuters news agency, as he announced the legislative election results.

The announcement of results from the presidential election saw clashes between the security forces loyal to Mr Kabila and those of former rebel leader Mr Bemba, in which 23 people were killed.

Some 17,000 UN peacekeepers, backed up by European Union forces are in DR Congo to ensure security.

The BBC's Arnaud Zajtman in the capital, Kinshasa, says the other 325 seats are split between about 130 groups or individuals.

Our correspondent says the two main parties will be jockeying for their support, but it is difficult to tell who will support whom.

But over the next few weeks attention will be focussed on October's presidential run-off.

In the coming months the National Assembly must organise other electoral rounds as each of the country's 25 regions is to have its own assembly.

The polls are meant to put an end to a transition process established after five years of war that ended in 2003.