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Denmark votes in early elections Danish PM close to poll majority
(about 5 hours later)
Denmark is voting in an early general election with a close result expected. Denmark's governing coalition, led by Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, is close to winning an absolute majority, projections say.
Opinion polls are suggesting a slim victory for Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen's centre-right coalition over the centre-left opposition. TV channels predicted, with 60% of the votes counted, that Mr Rasmussen's Liberal-Conservative-led government would be one seat short of a majority.
He could depend on parliamentary support from a new party led by a Syrian-born Palestinian immigrant.
Turnout was higher than in the previous poll, held in 2005, at well over 80%.
Projections suggested the governing centre-right held an advantage over the left-wing bloc, led by the Social Democrats, but would fall one seat short of an absolute majority in the 179-member parliament, the Folketing.
'Kingmaker' Khader?
If this result is confirmed, Mr Rasmussen's minority Liberal-Conservative coalition - along with its parliamentary ally, the right-wing Danish People's Party (DPP) would need the support of the recently formed New Alliance party, led by Naser Khader, tipped to win five seats.
Naser Khader (R) could have an important role in coalition talks
And although Mr Khader has said his choice would be to side with the current prime minister, many expect negotiations along the way.
But such a coalition including the anti-immigrant DPP and Mr Khader's party would be unstable, analysts say.
A tight result could even lead to a situation where the four MPs from the Faroe Islands and Greenland - the Danish dependencies in the North Atlantic - end up holding the balance of power, BBC's Julian Isherwood reports from Copenhagen.
There has been much campaign wrangling about welfare and tax reforms, immigration and the environment.There has been much campaign wrangling about welfare and tax reforms, immigration and the environment.
But all the main parties seem to agree on the core issues and campaigning has been more about who wields power than a policy change, correspondents say.But all the main parties seem to agree on the core issues and campaigning has been more about who wields power than a policy change, correspondents say.
Narrowing the gap
Polls opened across Denmark at 0800 GMT and will close at 1900 GMT, with final results expected just before midnight.
Some four million Danes are eligible to elect the 179-member parliament, the Folketing.
Electoral officials reported heavy turnout early in the day.
It's going to be tight, but we'll pull it off Anders Fogh RasmussenDanish Prime Minister
Mr Rasmussen's minority Liberal-Conservative government - along with its parliamentary ally the right-wing Danish People's Party - has led opinion polls, but the Social Democrat-led opposition has narrowed the gap in the last few days.
"It's going to be tight, but we'll pull it off," Mr Rasmussen said as he voted in the capital Copenhagen.
Mr Rasmussen called the vote because election rumours have been so widespread over the past couple of months that parliament had almost come to a standstill, the BBC's Julian Isherwood in Copenhagen says.
The prime minister - who faces upcoming wage negotiations and a package of welfare reforms to negotiate - said he needed a renewed mandate to continue.
Crusade
The main problem for Mr Rasmussen's government appears to have been the emergence of the New Alliance party, observers say.
With which of the two main parties will Mr Khader (centre) join?
Under the leadership of a Syria-born Palestinian, Naser Khader, the party has been doing well in the opinion polls.
New Alliance wants to stem the influence on the government of the Danish People's Party, who stand on an anti-immigration platform.
The latest opinion polls have predicted that even though support for New Alliance has waned, it will still be the deciding factor in who becomes the next prime minister.
And although Mr Khader has said his choice would be the current prime minister, many expect negotiations along the way.
Nine parties are contesting the election, and several of them hover around the 2% electoral threshold.
However, even a change in government to the main opposition Social Democrats would be unlikely to change Denmark's domestic or international politics to any major degree, our correspondent says.