LEADERS of Australia’s two major political parties lobbied for support from independent lawmakers yesterday to stitch together the nation’s first minority government since World War II after the closest election in almost 50 years.

The leaders of Australia’s two major political parties began negotiating power deals with independent lawmakers today after the nation’s closest election in decades failed to deliver a clear mandate to govern.

Prime minister Julia Gillard said today no major party had won a majority of parliamentary seats in Australia’s general election and she had started negotiating with independent MPs in an effort to cling to power.

It could take more than a week to learn who will govern Australia after a cliffhanger election – the closest in nearly 50 years – and the winner may have to woo the support of a handful of independent lawmakers in order to assume power.

Australians today chose between giving their first female prime minister her own election mandate and returning to a conservative government after just three years.