PRAGUE (Reuters) - The Czech general election ended in a stalemate between centre-right and leftist parties on Saturday, setting the scene for prolonged horse-trading or even fresh polls before a new government can be formed.
Full preliminary results showed the opposition Civic Democrats won the biggest share of the popular vote but not a majority in the first elections since the ex-communist nation joined the European Union two years ago.
The conservative party and its two smaller centrist allies, the Greens and Christian Democrats, would hold 100 seats in the 200-member lower house -- the same as the ruling Social Democrats and far-left Communists.
"This is probably the worst outcome the election could produce," said Pavel Saradin, a political analyst at Palacky University in Olomouc. "Unless parties make about-faces, they may want to deal the cards again and hold fresh elections."
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