Posted on 09/12/2005 9:20:25 AM PDT by knighthawk
NORWEGIANS were voting overnight in a closely-fought general election, with pollsters unable to predict whether Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik's centre-right coalition or the left-wing opposition will emerge victorious.
Some 3.4 million Norwegians were expected to cast their votes to determine the makeup of the country's government for the next four years.
Opinion polls in recent days have shown Mr Bondevik's minority coalition in a neck-and-neck race with the rival left coalition of former prime minister Jens Stoltenberg.
The election campaign focused on the distribution of Norway's abundant oil wealth, and the week before the election saw a major trend reversal with polls swinging back to the right after putting the left in the lead for two years.
Mr Bondevik has touted the country's robust economic health after his government's four years in power.
Mr Stoltenberg's Labor Party, the Socialist Left Party and the agrarian Centre Party, which have presented a united front for the first time, meanwhile attacked Mr Bondevik's tax cuts for the wealthy, and proposed instead more spending on education, healthcare and welfare.
The Labor Party has been the dominant political grouping in post-war Norway, shaping national perceptions about the role of government.
As he cast his vote in Oslo, Mr Stoltenberg appeared optimistic.
"I think we'll be drinking champagne," he said.
If people want on or off this list, please let me know.
Kool Aid, more likely.
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