Norway's center-left coalition government has won parliamentary elections. The race was tight and turnout was lower than in 2005, but Norwegian voters ultimately credited the bloc with steering them through the economic crisis.
The left-leaning government has narrowly won reelection in Norway, official results show. The three-party coalition led by Labor Party Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg became the first sitting government to be re-elected in Norway in 16 years. With 99.9 percent of votes counted, Stoltenberg's bloc had taken 86 of the 169 seats. The final tally is expected to be announced later this week.
Voter turnout in the oil-rich nation was estimated at about 69 percent among the some 3.5 million eligible voters, around 9 percent lower than in 2005.
Stoltenberg's government, which has been in power since 2005, had campaigned against tax cuts and privatization proposals made by the center-right parties, arguing that such measures would be detrimental to healthcare, education and care for the elderly.
The right-wing opposition, dominated by the populist Progress Party, had vowed to cut taxes and launch a privatization program. Norwegian taxes are among the highest in the world.
Stoltenberg's center-left government has resorted to tapping a multibillion-euro oil fund to cushion the blow of the global economic downturn. Norway's oil fund, designed to finance the social welfare state, was worth 277 billion euros ($395 billion) at the end of June.
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