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Deutsche Welle

Czech Television's forecast, released after polls closed at 2 p.m. local time, showed the Social Democratic Party of Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek trailing with 30 percent.

Civic Democrat MP Vlastimil Tlusty said the forecast suggested his party and the Christian Democrats would amass more seats in the lower house than the Social Democrats and Communists combined.

"That would be a good result," he said.

The Social Democrats had said that they could aim to form a minority government tolerated by the Communist Party.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  Czech Premier Jiri Paroubek (right) watched the result come in Saturday

Paroubek, seeking a third election win for his party, was put on the defensive in the campaign's last days by allegations from a top police officer that he, his interior minister and police chiefs tried to block corruption and murder inquiries implicating top party members.

All but one opinion poll -- on the eve of the allegations -- had put the Civic Democrats ahead.

Conservatives want flat tax

Topolanek, who has made the fight against corruption one of his main themes, has promised to restore voters' "faith in politics." His program features an across-the-board 15 percent flat tax, and a promise to halve unemployment, relaunch privatization, shrink the role of the state, and keep the Communists out of power.

The Communist Party was predicted to gain 12 percent, the Christian Democrats 8 percent and the Greens 7 percent. Such a result would allow the Greens to win seats in the 200-seat lower house of parliament for the first time. Topolanek would likely form a coalition government with Christian Democrats and the Greens.

Turnout was predicted at 65 percent, compared with the 58 percent in the last election in June 2002. Official results are expected late on Saturday.