A senior parliamentary official has defeated a rival backed by right-wing populist Mr Joerg Haider in a presidential election, preliminary results showed.
With 50 per cent of ballots counted, Mr Heinz Fischer, the candidate of the opposition Social Democrats, had close to 52 per cent of the vote.
Foreign Minister Mr Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the conservative endorsed by Mr Haider, had just over 48 per cent.
Mr Haider's backing of Mr Ferrero-Waldner and her rival's critical stance toward the Austrian rightist, whose appeal extends to the neo-Nazi fringe, added spice to an otherwise humdrum race for the mostly ceremonial position.