With the release of the first results of the elections in Australia, local media projections indicate that the party of Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to lose its majority in Parliament, putting in question the continuity of his government.
Initial results indicate that both the center-right ruling Liberal Coalition and the center-left opposition Labor Party are expected to lose seats to independent and environmentalist parties. There is a possibility that no party will win a majority, making it uncertain who will be the next prime minister.
“Right now, I can’t see the coalition achieving a majority with these numbers,” said ABC analyst Antony Green. “At the moment, the coalition has no way of getting the 76 [assentos]”, he added, mentioning the number needed to win a majority in Parliament, which has 151 seats.
Morrison, 54, has been in power since 2018, and is seeking to lead the Liberal Coalition to a fourth consecutive term at the helm. His main opponent is the opposition leader and one of Australia’s most experienced politicians, Anthony Albanese, 59, of the Labor Party. The latest polls available before the election indicated a tight race.
