The ruling coalition in Australia forced to form a minority government

SYDNEY – The Australian ruling coalition was forced to form a minority government on Saturday after a massive attack on its main partner, the Liberal Party, in a by-election for the prime minister's seat that the party itself had revoked.

After an election of over 20% against the Liberals, independent candidate Kerryn Phelps won a decisive victory in a wave of voter reaction after the fourth overthrow of an Australian leader by an internal party vote in just eight years.

The result cost the conservative coalition of the national-liberal party its majority of a seat in the House of Representatives, forcing Prime Minister Scott Morrison to resort to agreements with independent legislators to ensure confidence in his government, legislate and guarantee the money supply.

The next general election is scheduled in seven months, and there was no immediate debate Saturday that it would be held earlier.

Phelps asserts that it "does not intend to bring down the government" and other independent legislators who also pledge to support the administration of Morrison, it would seem unlikely that a motion of censure presented against the government between now and the elections will succeed.

According to forecasts by Australian Broadcasting Corp., Phelps would be the winner after only 9% of the votes cast. She hoped to obtain 57% of the votes cast according to the preference of both parties.

Liberal candidate Dave Sharma conceded his defeat shortly after, saying, "Tonight's result is over sooner than expected. I am certainly happy to have kept my schedule. "

The Liberals now number 75, including the speaker, out of 150 seats in the House of Representatives. The opposition Labor party has 69 seats, while the independents have six.

The by-election was triggered when Malcolm Turnbull left politics after his dismissal from the post of prime minister in August.

Turnbull did not comment on the election results late Saturday night.

This is the first time in 117 years that the Liberals lost the seat in Wentworth, reflecting the depth of voter reaction to the latest change of direction in Australia, without the public having a say.

Morrison said that although the loss was not unexpected given the polls, his party had received a strong message from voters.

"They looked at Canberra and the Liberal Party paid a heavy price tonight for the events of several months," he said, before adding with defiance: "But as a party, we will continue to increase."

Morrison promised that his government would continue as usual – even without a majority – when Parliament returned on Monday, promising to work closely with independent legislators.

"We will work constructively with everyone who sits on the bench, as we have always done," he said.

Addressing reporters, Phelps declined to say how she could vote if a no-confidence motion was presented to Parliament against the government, but said she hoped the government would assume its full mandate, which would will expire next May.

Phelps, a physician and former president of the Australian Medical Association, said the result should be seen as a warning to lawmakers.

"People have been concerned about the direction of the government for a very long time and we have seen a lack of decency, a lack of integrity, and we need to look at what the House of Representatives is all about," Phelps said. "It is about representing the people and the people have spoken loud and clear."

The election campaign, occupying a seat with a large Jewish population, caught the attention of the international community last week when Morrison spoke of the possibility of following the United States by transferring the Australian Embassy to Israel from Tel. Aviv in Jerusalem. Morrison said that the idea had been suggested to her by Liberal candidate Sharma, former ambassador of Australia to Israel.

The statement by Morrison hosted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has caused concern among Palestinian leaders and leaders in Indonesia, the largest nation in the world with a Muslim majority.

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