The eight-year term in office of Guy Verhofstadt, the Prime Minister of Belgium, appeared set to end after voters strongly backed the Flemish Christian Democrats in an election yesterday, early results indicated.

Mr Verhofstadt’s chief rival, Yves Leterme, the Flemish Minister-President, who wants more power devolved to his Dutch-speaking region, was the big winner and is favourite to be the next prime minister if he can build a viable coalition.

Voting is compulsory for the 7.7 million voters in Belgium.

Mr Verhofstadt’s liberals, who share federal power with the socialists, went into the election as the strongest party in Flanders in terms of seats, but slid to third place, according to early results and projections. Mr Leterme’s Christian Democrats and their small nationalist allies N-VA increased their share of the vote to beyond 30 per cent in the northern region that is home to 60 per cent of Belgians.

In French-speaking Wallonia, the Socialist Party slipped after a series of local embezzlement scandals and was running neck and neck with the centre-right liberal Reform Movement.

Ecologist parties made strong gains in both regions, giving them a prospect of entering a coalition. The far-right Flemish nationalist Vlaams Belang also gained some ground.

Voters choose from separate francophone and Flemish party lists, depending on where they live. The federal Government normally consists of majorities in both regions. (Reuters)

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