Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, the leader of Estonia's ruling Reform Party that won Sunday's parliamentary election in the Baltic state, said he would like to keep the center-right coalition with the IRL party.
"The talks will not be easy but I have long spoken of my preferences: my key preference is to keep working with the same coalition as it has proven its efficiency," Ansip said on national television.
The Reform Party won the parliamentary election gaining 28.6% of the vote, the 1.3-million nation's Central Election Commission said Monday citing preliminary results.
The party will have 33 out of 101 seats in parliament. Should the IRL party, which garnered 20.5% (23 seats), agree to join forces with it again, the coalition will have 56 seats, or more than half.
Estonian political scientists say in this case the key ministers are likely to retain their posts.
The opposition Center Party won 23.3% (26 seats) and the Social Democrats gained 17.1% (19 seats).
The voter turnout was 62.9%. Other parties failed to overcome the 5% election barrier.
TALLINN, March 7 (RIA Novosti)
