It showed his Social Democrats tied with the opposition conservative Christian Union with 38.5 percent of the vote each, but with 251 seats in parliament compared to 248 for the CDU/CSU.

The Greens, the junior partners in the centre-left coalition, came third with a surprisingly strong showing of 8.6 percent, giving them 55 seats.

In fourth place with 7.4 percent and 47 seats were the pro-business Free Democrats, with whom CDU/CSU chief Edmund Stoiber had hoped to form the next government.

Overall, the results give the red-green coalition 306 seats and the conservatives and FDP a combined 295 out of the 603 available in the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament.

The remaining two seats went to the former communist Party of Democratic Socialism.

Turnout was 79.1 percent, some three points lower than in the last federal election in 1998.

km/pvh

Nampa-AFP WEB story ENDS (NAMPA 230311)

World News Headlines Of The Last 48 Hours

•  Tsvangirai seeks region's help
•  Russia prepares to start Georgia pullout
•  Senegal newspaper raids deepen bitter media dispute
•  Musharraf quits presidency
•  Baby whale thinks yacht is its mother
•  Outback mayor seeks 'ugly duckling' women
•  New porn channel for Canada
•  Zimbabwe deal hinges on Mugabe 'conceding powers'
•  Zimbabwe: Comments from political analysts on the deadlock:
•  'CSI' gets its man!
•  Britney on MTV awards list for a 3rd time
•  Sudan's Bashir arrives in Turkey for summit
•  Russia leaves Georgia today
•  Musharraf gets two-day ultimatum
•  Zimbabweans' shacks set alight
•  Zimbabwe talks to continue after summit in S Africa
•  88 die in Afghan violence
•  Pope decries rise in racism
•  Ellen DeGeneres weds her long-time girlfriend
•  Rap arrest