Australia count begins after tight election race

Watch Australia count begins after tight election race

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is facing a strong challenge from Mr Abbott
Counting is under way in Australia in a general election seen as the tightest in the country for decades.
With over half of votes counted, projections by Australia's ABC put PM Julia Gillard's Labor party slightly ahead of the opposition coalition.

But the results also suggested a swing against Labor in parts of the country, and talk of a hung parliament.

The vote takes place two months after Ms Gillard ousted Kevin Rudd in a controversial leadership challenge.

Unofficial figures by ABC, based on 52.7% of votes counted, Ms Gillard has more seats but only 38.1% of votes, compared with 43.7% garnered by conservative coalition leader Tony Abbott.

Analysts say Australia could be heading for a hung parliament, a situation which would arise if neither contender gains 76 or more seats. The country's last hung parliament was in 1940.

As results come in, party officials have said it is becoming "more and more likely".

Early results indicated Labor suffered heavy swings against it in key states of Queensland and New South Wales.

'Marginal seats'
Fourteen million registered voters began casting their ballots at 0800 (2200 GMT). Voting is compulsory in Australia.

While first early exit polls put Ms Gillard ahead of Mr Abbott by a slim margin, analysts warned that the swing in key marginal seats would determine the final vote.

A Channel Nine exit poll suggested an expected Labor win of 52% compared to 48% for Mr Abbott's coalition.

A second exit poll by Sky News indicated Ms Gillard would garner 51% of the votes to Mr Abbott's 49%.

"It all depends on the uniformity of the vote across the country," David Briggs of the Galaxy polling company told AFP news agency.

Speaking on Australia's ABC television channel, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said the election would be decided by "30 or more marginal seats throughout the country".

Earlier, Mr Abbott declared that it was "a day when we can vote out a bad government".
Coppied by http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11037486