World IN BRIEF : SWEDEN : Prime Minister Quits After Election Loss

Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson resigned after his long-ruling Social Democratic Party suffered its biggest defeat since the 1920s in Sunday’s election. But formation of a new government was clouded by division within the victorious center-right coalition that failed to win a parliamentary majority. Carlsson was asked to stay on as caretaker prime minister. The coalition of Conservatives, Liberals, Center Party and Christian Democrats won 47.1% of the vote. The Social Democrats and its allied Leftist Party had 42.7%. The populist New Democracy Party took 6.8% and the balance of power.