OTTAWA, October 15, SPA -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, thefirst major world leader to face voters since the globalfinancial meltdown, led his Conservative Party to victoryin Tuesday's election but fell short of a majority inParliament, Associated Press reported. The election agency reported on its Web site that theConservatives had won or were leading in races for 143 ofParliament's 308 seats, an improvement over the 127 seatsthe party had in the previous Parliament. But with nearly all the returns in early Wednesday, it wasclear the Conservative Party would not win the 155 seatsneeded to govern on its own. That would force it to againrely on opposition support to pass budgets and legislation_ as it has had to do since a 2006 election victory. Harper had called elections early in hopes of getting hisparty a majority, but the Conservatives sought to put agood face on the results, pointing to their increasednumber of seats. «Our party is bigger, our support base is broader andmore and more Canadians are finding a home in theConservative Party of Canada,» Harper said earlyWednesday. «We have shown that minority government canwork and at this time of global economic instability we oweit to Canadians to demonstrate this once again.» The Liberal Party, long Canada's top party, suffered asevere drubbing, dropping to 76 seats from 95 in theprevious Parliament, according to the election agency. BlocQuebecois led for 50 seats, the New Democrats for 37 andindependent candidates 2. Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion conceded to Harperearlier Wednesday. «I have talked to Prime Minister Harper to offer himcongratulations and my full cooperation in these difficulteconomic times,» Dion said.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/597969