Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen will spend Monday preparing to form a new coalition government after his Center Party won Sunday's parliamentary election.

The ruling Center Party won the election with 23.1 percent of the total votes. With 51 seats in the 200-member parliament it remains the largest party in the country.

Government negotiations get under way next week. In line with tradition, the largest party is offered the post of prime minister and forms a new government anmd Vanhanen will lead the cabinet for a new four-year term.

Vanhanen told reporters that his cabinet would probably include two junior partners from the five smaller parties who won seats in the parliament. But he said "Discussions will be very difficult... I think it is good if the government has at least 115 to 120 seats in the parliament."

Parliamentary groups will announce on March 29 who will head the official negotiations, with a new government expected to be formed in mid-April.

The new coalition was to push through difficult nationwide pay talks, to decide on limiting presidential powers and to outline the future of the non-aligned Nordic country's security policy.

As the opposition Conservative Party made strong gains in the election, it could have an impact on the formation of the next government. The Conservative Party could possibly replace the Social Democrats as the Center Party's main coalition partner.

(Xinhua News Agency March 19, 2007 )