Deposed Philippine leader Joseph Estrada's party was putting up a tough fight against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's coalition for control of the Senate, partial election returns showed on Wednesday.
But already Arroyo, facing huge economic problems, appears to accept the idea that she may wind up with a divided Senate and said a number of opposition leaders expressed willingness to help mend the nation's economy.
Candidates of Estrada's Power of the Masses (PnM) party were leading in five of 13 senatorial races with Arroyo's People Power Coalition (PPC) ahead in seven contests. A television newscaster running as an independent was ahead of the pack.
The partial, unofficial results were based on returns from almost 13 percent of more than 200,000 voting precincts set up nationwide in Monday's legislative and local elections -- seen as a test of Arroyo's popular support.
Arroyo, who swept to power in a military-backed popular uprising which ousted Estrada in January, needs to win nine of the 13 contested seats to gain a firm majority of at least 13 seats in the 24-member Senate and assert her leadership in the face of opposition challenges to her legitimacy -- MANILA (Reuters)
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