Reykjavik - Iceland got the first-ever leftist majority in its history in Saturday's parliamentary elections, with final returns giving the Social Democrats and Greens over half the vote and inflicting punishing losses on the conservatives. In the final count, Social Democrats of interim Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir, 66, and her Greens coalition partner had garnered 51.5 per cent of the vote. This was a gain of 10.4 percentage points from their showing four years ago.

Reykjavik - Iceland was set to get its first leftist majority government since its founding 65 years ago, latest election returns early Sunday showed.

With 82 per cent of the ballots counted, the Social Democrats and Greens had gained 52.7 per cent of the vote in Saturday's parliamentary elections.

This would give the coalition 34 seats in the 63-seat Althing parliament.

In the last elections four years ago, the Social Democrats and Greens had garnered 41.1 per cent of the vote.

Reykjavik  - Iceland's leftists were winning Parliamentary elections Saturday in Iceland, according to initial counting of 30 per cent of the vote.

Amidst the ravages of the global economic meltdown, the current interim government of the Social Democrats under Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir and Green Party had taken 52.8 per cent of the vote, bettering their 41.1 per cent received in the last elections two years ago.

The coalition had been expected to win.

Reykjavik - Voting began Saturday in the general election in Iceland, one of the country's most ravaged by the global economic meltdown amid survey indications of a strong shift to the left in the country's electorate. The current interim government of social democratic Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir is favourite to retain power, in coalition with their Green party partners.

The Morgunbladid newspaper published a Gallup poll showing that more than 57 per cent of those surveyed aimed to support the social democrats and Greens. Two years ago, the two parties won only 41 per cent of the vote.

Reykjavik - Voting began Saturday in the general election in Iceland, one of the country's most ravaged by the global economic meltdown. The current interim government of socialist Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir is favourite to retain power, in coalition with their Green party partners.

The previous government resigned in January, after Iceland's

economy imploded under the pressure of the collapse of three of its over-stretched banks, and mass street protests.

Reykjavik - Iceland's left-leaning coalition has a good chance of being returned to power in parliamentary elections Saturday, according to an opinion poll released on the eve of the vote.

The Social Democratic Alliance headed by Johanna Sigurdardottir is on track to become the largest party with 29 per cent of the vote, giving it 19 seats in the 63-member legislature, the Capacent Gallup poll showed.

Some 227,000 people are eligible to vote in the election.