Battle over,negotiations begin

Brown,whose left-leaning Labour Party lost more than 90 seats is fighting to cling to power,promised to back the Liberal Democrats on reform and opening negotiations with Britains smaller,Scottish and Welsh nationalist parties.

Cameron told reporters a stable government was needed quickly to calm markets and said the Tories would promise to implement parts of Liberal Democratic election manifesto – but only offered the party,and their leader Nick Clegg,an inquiry to examine the issue of electoral reform.

I want to make a big,open and comprehensive offer to the Liberal Democrats, Cameron said. Brown went further in a similar public approach to the Liberal

Democrats,saying he agreed with their demands. My view is clear – there needs to be immediate legislation on this to begin to restore the public trust in politics and to improve Parliaments standing and reputation,a fairer voting system is central, Brown said.

Clegg did not immediately respond in public but said earlier that the party that had gained the most seats and the most votes – the Conservatives – should have the first right to seek to govern. Labour came second in Thursdays vote,which for the first time since the 1970s produced no outright winner. The Conservatives

gained the largest number of seats but fell short of the parliamentary majority needed to govern alone.

With the results of all the countrys contests declared,Conservatives earned 306 seats,Labour held 258 and the Liberal Democrats had 57. Other parties,such as the Scottish National Party and Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru,held 28 seats.

As sitting Prime Minister,Brown would traditionally be given the first chance to put together a government. Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond,which held six seats,said he had already been invited to talks with Brown.

Talks were expected to begin between political players Friday,aided by civil service guidelines detailing how the process should unfold. Although Britain has no written constitution,senior civil servants have been preparing furiously to lay out the rules and avoid market-rattling uncertainty in the event of a so-called hung parliament,a result in which no party secures a majority. The last time a British election produced such a result was in 1974.

Voters turned back after surge

LONDON: Voters made a last minute surge to the polling booths,only to be turned back,prompting the countrys Election Commission to launch an investigation. With the final results showing a fractured mandate,the political parties cried foul saying that the turned back voters could have proved decisive. The Election Commission promised to investigate the matter. There were scenes of chaos at polling stations across Britain near closing time,with hundreds of people still queued up to vote.

Green Party wins first seat

LONDON: The Green Party made its most significant political breakthrough in Britain on Friday when it won its first ever national parliamentary seat in the southern English seaside city of Brighton. Caroline Lucas,the environmental partys leader and a Member of the European Parliament for South East England,won the Brighton Pavilion seat. Tonight the people of Brighton Pavilion have made history by electing Britains first Green MP, a jubilant Lucas said. Thank you so much for putting the politics of hope above the politics of fear.

Two Indian-origin women win

LONDON: For the first time,two Indian-origin women have been elected to the House of Commons,setting a new record for representation of ethnic minorities in Britain. Conservative Priti Patel was declared elected from the Witham constituency while Labour candidate Valerie Vaz sister of Indian-origin Labour MP Keith Vaz was elected from Walsall South. Vaz himself retained his seat in Leicester East though his vote share got reduced by 5 per cent from the last polls. It is the first time a brother-sister duo is being elected to the House of Commons. More Asian candidates are expected to be elected as results come in. Agencies