Leftist opposition wins big in Slovakia election

AAA??Mar. 10, 2012?10:33 PM ET
Leftist opposition wins big in Slovakia election
KAREL JANICEKKAREL JANICEK, Associated Press??

Robert Fico, chairman of the SMER-Social Democracy party smiles after the first exit polls for Slovakia's early general elections were announced ,at the party's headquarters in Bratislava, Slovakia, Saturday, March 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Robert Fico, chairman of the SMER-Social Democracy party smiles after the first exit polls for Slovakia's early general elections were announced ,at the party's headquarters in Bratislava, Slovakia, Saturday, March 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Robert Fico, chairman of the SMER-Social Democracy party, left, addresses media after the first exit polls for Slovakia's early general elections were announced at the party's headquarters, in Bratislava, Slovakia, Saturday, March 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Robert Fico, chairman of the SMER-Social Democracy party, looks on while addressing media after the first exit polls for Slovakia's early general elections were announced, at the party's headquarters in Bratislava, Slovakia, Saturday, March 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

A kid casts a vote during early general election in Bratislava, Slovakia, Saturday, March 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Robert Fico, chairman of the SMER-Social Democracy party prepares to cast a vote during early general election in Bratislava, Slovakia, Saturday, March 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) ? Preliminary results show a leftist opposition party in Slovakia is heading for a landslide victory in an early parliamentary election.

With the votes from about two thirds of all polling stations counted by the Statistics Office early Sunday, Smer-Social Democracy of former Prime Minister Robert Fico is a clear winner with 46 percent of the vote, or 86 seats in the 150-seat Parliament.

The result would allow Fico to govern alone.

Fico, a populist leader, is pledging to maintain a welfare state, increase corporate tax and hike income tax for the highest earners.

The outgoing center-right, four-party coalition would combine for just 48 seats as it faced voter anger over a major corruption scandal. The new Ordinary People would win 16 seats.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-03-10-EU-Slovakia-Election/id-11bcaf912cb24ab5826cc8141b0d69b2

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