Norway politicians battle for votes as poll nears

Norway's politicians scrambled to win over undecided voters yesterday, two days before an election fought on how to manage the country's vast oil wealth.

The Vart Land newspaper published a poll giving the left-wing opposition a narrow advantage, but a survey for the TV 2 channel on Friday showed the centre-right coalition widening a lead to retain power in the world's third-biggest oil exporter.

Campaigning on Oslo's main street, Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik urged voters to stick with the coalition of his Christian People's party, Conservatives and Liberals.

Labour leader Jens Stoltenberg, campaigning in Bergen on the west coast, also expected a close vote. Bondevik's coalition has come from behind after struggling in spite of a booming oil-driven economy and Norway topping a UN poll as the best country to live in for a fifth consecutive year.

The campaign has focused on how to spend oil proceeds, with the Labour-led opposition calling for more money for schools and the elderly and the government promising more tax cuts.

Some polling stations will open today ahead of election day tomorrow. Preliminary results and exit polls are expected as soon as polling closes at 8 p.m. tomorrow.