Australian parties seek backing of independents

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, who remains caretaker leader, said it was clear that no party had won a majority of parliamentary seats in yesterday’s poll that delivered an extraordinary voter backlash against her centre-left Labour Party after a single three-year term.