The opposition Labor party has won the Australian parliamentary election. This allows Labor leader Anthony Albanese to form a government. Albanians are likely to fall short of votes for a majority.
Current Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has acknowledged his defeat and congratulated Albanian. Morrison said that after “a time of great turmoil” it is important that the country now starts to “heal”. He also said he would step down as leader of the Liberals.
The elections were seen as a neck-and-neck race between the ruling coalition of the conservative Liberals and the peasant Nationals party on the one hand, and the Labor party on the other. Morrison’s coalition won a narrow majority in the 2019 election. Labor is now four seats away from a majority of 76.
Climate campaign
In addition to the coalition parties and the Labor party, a number of independent parties also took part. They mainly campaigned on the climate, a theme that the other parties consciously avoid. Climate is a very sensitive topic in the political landscape, writes correspondent Meike Wijers. “A ‘climate war’ has been raging for years.”
The coalition parties and the Labor party have all lost votes to the independent parties, according to the first counted votes. Australian public broadcaster’s political analyst Antony Green ABC News says the Labor party is likely to win 72 of the 151 seats. “If Labor falls short for a majority and wants to form a government, they can talk to the Greens.”
The final result can be a long time in coming, because postal votes are counted by hand.
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