Nov 13, 5:05 PM (ET)
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - Denmark's center-right government headed for re-election Tuesday after the leader of the key opposition party conceded defeat.
The concession came after exit polls showed Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen's minority government held a solid lead in the vote.
"I promised I would beat Anders Fogh Rasmussen. That didn't happen," a tearful Helle Thorning-Schmidt told supporters of her Social Democratic Party. "Danes need more time before they hand over responsibility to us."
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - Denmark's center-right government, buoyed by a strong economy, was headed for re-election Tuesday, according to two exit polls and partial results.
Exit polls by commercial network TV2 and public broadcaster DR said Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen's minority government would need support from the small New Alliance party led by a Syrian-born Muslim immigrant to stay in power.
However, an election forecast by DR presented less than an hour after polls closed showed the government would win even without that group because it had enough support from its traditional ally, the nationalist Danish People's Party.
The government bloc would get 92 of the 179 seats in Parliament - including five from Naser Khader's New Alliance - while the leftist opposition led by the Social Democrats would get 83 seats, according to the exit polls.
TV2's poll was carried out by Megafone, and included 2,000 voters, while 5,000 people were included in DR's survey by Capacent Epinion.
(AP) Villy Soevndahl, leader of The Socialist People's Party, speaks to party activists in Copenhagen,...
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In DR's forecast, which was based on more than half of the votes counted, the government bloc had an even bigger margin, with 94 seats to the opposition's 81.
The four seats given to delegates from the semiautonomous territories of Greenland and the Faeroe Islands were not included.
Experts stressed the results could still change with final results.
The prime minister called the early election three weeks ago, taking advantage of favorable approval ratings and an upbeat economy. Denmark's jobless rate is at 3.1 percent, the lowest in three decades, and economic growth last year was 3.5 percent.
Immigration, welfare and taxes have been the main issues, although there was broad agreement on keeping the cradle-to-grave welfare state.
As the results trickled in, government officials were increasingly confident of winning.
"It looks really great, it's really positive," Interior Minister Lars Loeeke Rasmussen said.
A total of 808 candidates ran, representing nine parties with 12 independents.
The big question appeared to be whether the government would need Khader's party to stay in power. That could diminish the influence of the anti-immigration Danish People's Party, which has backed Fogh Rasmussen's Liberal-Conservative government since 2001.
Khader, a black belt in karate who once dreamed of becoming Palestinian foreign minister, has said he wants to pull the prime minister away from the influence of Danish People's Party leader Pia Kjaersgaard.
Even though it holds no Cabinet seats, Kjaersgaard's populist group, known for its harsh rhetoric against Muslims, has been instrumental in shaping Denmark's tight immigration laws.
As he cast his ballot, the prime minister acknowledged that forging an alliance with both parties would make his job "a little more complicated."
"The most important thing is that the government can continue," said Fogh Rasmussen, 54. "I will play with the cards that the voters give me. I am sure it will work out."
Khader and Kjaersgaard were key figures during Denmark's most turbulent days since World War II: the wave of Muslim rioting last year against caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad printed in a Danish newspaper.
Kjaersgaard's party said the crisis showed Islamic traditions clashed with the foundations of Danish society, such as the freedom of speech. Khader formed a network of moderate Muslims as a counterbalance to Islamic extremists.
Immigration is expected to remain one of the key issues for Denmark. Economists and Danish corporate leaders say the Nordic country needs to open its doors to more workers from abroad to keep the economy growing.
Fogh Rasmussen has pledged to push for a U.S.-style green card system to allow more skilled foreign workers to enter Denmark.
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Associated Press Writer Jan M. Olsen contributed to this report.
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20071113/D8ST20E00.html
