GEO 436 LONDON: Britain’’s opposition Conservatives and Liberal Democrats were set for fresh talks Sunday on a pact to enter government and break the general election deadlock. Four-strong teams of Tory and Lib Dem negotiators are due to meet for a second round of discussions, though few expect them to finalise a power-sharing deal before the financial markets open on Monday. The negotiations come after Conservative leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat counterpart Nick Clegg held their first face-to-face talks on joining forces to oust Prime Minister Gordon Brown’’s Labour Party from office after 13 years. Spokespersons for the two sides described the private 70-minute discussion Saturday as “constructive and amicable”. Brown later called Clegg for what was again described as an “amicable” conversation. The three leaders stood side by side Saturday at a service marking the 65th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. But despite the show of unity, Britain remained in political limbo with Cameron holding the most seats in parliament, Brown still in nominal power and Clegg the so-called kingmaker following Thursday’’s vote. The Conservatives won the most seats in the Thursday’’s vote but ended up 20 short of an overall majority in the 650-seat House of Commons, leaving Britain with its first hung parliament for 36 years. The Conservatives now have 306 lawmakers, compared to 258 for Labour. The Liberal Democrats dropped back to 57 seats. Northern Irish parties make up the bulk of the rest. Cameron emailed supporters to say Britain expected the Conservatives and Liberals to “work out how we can deliver strong and stable government to tackle Britain’’s big and urgent problems.” He drew red lines on ceding powers to the European Union, and a soft approach to immigration and defence. But he also said there were areas where the Tories could “give ground… in the interests of forging an open and trusting partnership.
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