Regeringspartijen winnen verkiezingen Estland (en)

Estonia's centre-right government looks likely to keep power after parliamentary elections on Sunday (4 March) in which around three percent of voters cast their ballot online - becoming the first people in the world to try internet voting.

According to preliminary results reported by newswires, the Reform Party of current prime minister Andrus Ansip received 27.7 percent of votes and the centre-left Centre Party - its coalition partner - took 26.2 percent.

Another centre-right party and the main opposition group - the IRL union - came in third place with 17.8 percent of votes.

The pre-election campaign in Estonia focused on economic and taxation policies with the centre-right leader promising to keep taxes flat in a policy that has helped the government build enviable business momentum with 11.5 percent growth last year, the BBC writes.

High levels of computer literacy and internet use among the 1.4 million people living in the ex-Soviet country have also helped stimulate the economy.

Ninety percent of Estonians carry a computer-readable identity card, allowing voters to log in to a secure online voting website and register their choice in the parliamentary elections.

Around 30,000 people - or three percent of the country's voters - used the online option last week.

The internet voting took place a few days ahead of Sunday's ordinary poll to enable people to cancel their online vote and vote again using traditional methods if needed.

The safeguard tool was introduced to prevent potential problems, such as family members exerting pressure on relatives at home to vote along certain lines.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe has also voiced concerns about the online poll, suggesting that official monitors have no way of overseeing the probity of computer voting.

But Estonians argue they already tried the modern voting method in regional elections in 2005 and that it worked out well.