Australia’s conservative government celebrated on Sunday its surprise election victory that defied years of unfavorable opinion polls.

Iran Press/Asia: Australia’s Liberal-led coalition has won 74 seats in its quest for a 76-seat majority, according to the Australian Electoral Commission, with three-quarters of votes counted.

The opposition Labor party has conceded defeat and Bill Shorten stepped down as its leader.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison told raucously cheering supporters late on Saturday, who just hours earlier had seemed resigned to defeat, that he had always believed in miracles.

Opinion polls in Australia had all pointed to a Labor victory ahead of Saturday’s vote. 

Morrison, however, cast himself as the candidate who would work for aspirational voters and the tactic seemed to strike a chord.

A Pentecostal church-goer, Morrison took over as prime minister last year when he emerged as the unexpected winner of infighting within the Liberal party, the senior partner within the Liberal-National coalition.

It is still unclear whether the coalition can govern with an outright majority or will need to negotiate support from independents, with millions of early votes cast before polling day still to be counted.

Several seats in the 151-seat House of Representatives are still too close to call.  213/211

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