The governing Social Democratic Party has won parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic, gaining almost a third of the vote.

The Social Democrats' leader, Vladimir Spidla, voiced satisfaction with the result.

However his party did not win a majority of seats and now faces complex negotiations on finding support from other parties.

Election results

Social Democrats (CSSD) 30% Civic Democrats (ODS) 25% Communists 18% Centrist coalition 14%

The outcome will determine the government which steers the country through the last crucial months of negotiations for entry into the European Union.

The new parliament will have the task of selecting a successor for President Vaclav Havel who retires next year.

Coalition talks

The Social Democratic Party - which has led a minority government with support from the right-wing ODS for the past four years - has 30% of the vote.

Vaclav Klaus has conceded defeat

However the BBC's Ray Furlong in Prague says Mr Spidla now has a tough job ahead of him.

His preferred partners, a coalition of two small centrist parties, have not done well.

Instead there has been a significant success for the Communist Party, which unlike its cousins in other eastern European countries, has done little to reform itself.

Mr Spidla has ruled out any cooperation with the Communists.

ODS leader Vaclav Klaus, scored just 25% of the vote and has conceded defeat, but his party could still play a crucial role in post-election negotiations.

"I will invite the (centrist) Coalition to negotiations first, then we will see," Mr Spidla said, adding that the power-sharing accord with the Coalition remained an option.

None of the other 28 parties standing in this election reached the 5% threshold required to gain a seat parliament.

Turnout was 58%, significantly down from the 74% registered at the last parliamentary elections in 1998.