Hungary's Socialist-led coalition won the country's general elections with a comfortable majority on Sunday.

The Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) and its coalition partner, the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ), won 209 seats in the 386-seat parliament with ballots from almost 99 percent of voting districts counted, the National Election Office said.

Opposition conservative Fidesz emerged with only 165 seats, while smaller conservative Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF), with which Fidesz failed to form an alliance, won 11.

There is also an independent candidate who appears to have secured a seat in the parliament.

MSZP chairman Istvan Hiller has officially declared victory, the first re-election for a political party in the East European country after 1989.

"With our victory comes the responsibility to make sure the whole of Hungary wins," incumbent Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany told a crowd of supporters.

Gyurcsany said priorities of his new government would be to give citizens peace and security in their everyday lives, while improving Hungary's economic competitiveness.

The new government faces a tough challenge posed by a huge budget deficit and mounting pressure from the European Union to make economic reforms to pave the way for the country to adopt the euro.

Preliminary results showed the turnout was around 63 percent, 5 percent lower than in the first round on April 9.

Fidesz leader Viktor Orban Orban called Gyurcsany to congratulate the Socialists on their win.

Trying to remain upbeat in a speech to his supporters, Orban said his party still had as many seats as they had held in the previous parliament, despite MSZP gains.

He also admitted that the party's failure to forge an alliance with the MDF was a key factor resulting in the defeat.

"Those who can unite, win, but those who cannot will always lose," he said.

SZDSZ leader Gabor Kuncze said the election results not only meant a continuation of the coalition government but a "more comfortable" lead over the opposition than the 10-seat margin in the last four years.

MDF leader Ibolya David refused to accept blame for the conservative defeat, adding there was a "difference in principles "between the two parties.

Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, President of the Party of European Socialists (PES), praised the win secured by Hungary's Socialist-led coalition.

"The Hungarian people have voted for the Social Democratic pathway to renewal and modernization with a well-deserved vote of confidence for Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany," said Rasmussen.

A new, modern European left-wing is evolving in the Central European countries, he added.

After the Italian and Hungarian elections, the Social Democratic parties have formed governing coalitions in 13 European Union countries, the PES president said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2006)