Australia’s prime minister declares victory in marathon election

SYDNEY,  (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull declared victory yesterday in a marathon national election, with his coalition government retaining power and the opposition Labor Party conceding defeat.

Vote counting continues into an eighth day, with Turnbull’s coalition expected to win two of the five seats still in doubt, enabling it to form a majority government, after having already won 74 of the 150 lower house seats up for grabs in the poll.

“We have won the election,” Turnbull told a news conference in Sydney. “We have gone through this election with fiercely fought arguments, issues of policy, issues of principle and we have done so peacefully and it’s something we should celebrate.”

Although he is expected to form a majority government, Turnbull’s gamble in calling the election backfired badly, with a swing to the centre-left Labor opposition and a rise in the popularity of minor parties and independents.

Turnbull’s narrow margin of victory over Labor leaves him likely to be forced to rely on independents, who won five seats, to ensure the passage of legislation. That raises questions about how effective his government will be in the long term.

Labor, on course to win 69 seats, conceded defeat.