The Dutch Christian Democrat Party (CDA) has won a narrow election victory, leaving it with an uphill struggle to re-build a governing coalition.

The politicians seem to be listening to the voters again Akke de Blauw Dutch voter

CDA leader Jan Peter Balkenende faces a difficult choice of partner between the resurgent centre-left Labour Party - its main rival - and smaller right-wing and centrist parties.

Voters in Wednesday's election returned to the political mainstream, deserting the organisation of murdered populist Pim Fortuyn, which rocked Dutch politics after it seized second place in last year's polls.

Balkenende: Coalition talks will be long and hard

Queen Beatrix has already begun the process of forming a new government, meeting her advisers in The Hague.

However, republicans who say the queen should not be involved in the political process demonstrated outside the royal palace.

The BBC's Geraldine Coughlan says the role of the Dutch monarch in politics is unique in Europe, as it is her job to appoint a mediator to form the coalition.

Another term

With almost all votes counted, the CDA has secured 44 seats, while the Labour Party almost doubled its parliamentary presence, soaring to 42 seats.

The anti-immigration Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) dropped 18 seats, to be left with just eight members in the 150-seat house.

PROVISIONAL RESULTS

Christian Democrats 44 - up 4 Labour 42 - up 19 Liberals 28 - up 4 LPF 8 - down 18 Democracy 66 (centrist) 6 - down 1

Final results will be confirmed on 27 January, after all ballot papers, including overseas votes, have been counted.

The results, if confirmed, would give Mr Balkenende another term as prime minister.

Labour is keen to form a centrist coalition with the Christian Democrats.

"Negotiations should start as soon as possible," its leader, Wouter Bos, told AFP news agency.

But Mr Balkenende has indicated a long period of horse-trading may be ahead, saying that there were "many risks" in going into a coalition with Labour.

Close race

Squabbling within the LPF made the former coalition unworkable and Mr Balkenende's government finally collapsed last October.

The late Pim Fortuyn's party was all but wiped out

The free-market Liberal Party (VVD) - the other partner in the short-lived CDA-led coalition - were predicted to win 28 seats, four more than they currently hold.

But the CDA and VVD do not have enough seats between them to form a government and would need the support of a third party to govern without Labour.

Analysts say the return to power of the LPF would be highly risky, in view of the infighting which destroyed the previous government.

The only other possible partner is the centrist Democracy 66, which has initially said it does not want to join the coalition.

Turnout in Wednesday's election was 80.3% - slightly higher than in last May's poll.

LPF's spectacular fall in support is being blamed on several factors.

Its original support may have been boosted by a wave of sympathy after the murder of Mr Fortuyn nine days before the poll and voters are thought to have been put off by its bitter internal feuding.

But mainstream parties have adopted many of his policies.