Prague, Czech Republic ? The conservative Czech opposition narrowly won general elections, according to preliminary results Saturday, but parliament could face a deadlock even if the Civic Democratic Party can form a coalition.

Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek said he may challenge the result that gave his governing Social Democratic Party 74 seats, seven less than the center-right Civic Democrats, in parliament’s lower chamber.

Civic Democratic leader Mirek Topolanek has ruled out forming a coalition with either the Social Democrats or the Communists, who won 26 seats. And even if he can strike a deal with the Christian Democrats and the Greens, who together won 19 seats, such a coalition would have just half the chamber’s seats – putting parliament into a possible deadlock.

The Civic Democrats received 35.38 percent of the votes cast while the Social Democrats finished second, with 32.32 percent.