Estonia's ruling center-right Reform Party won the most votes in Estonia's parliamentary elections last Sunday, defeating a pro-Russian party in a close fight.

With almost all the votes counted, it became clear that Estonia's Prime Minister Taavi Roivas' Reform Party had garnered 27.7 percent of the total votes cast.

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 Their opponent, the pro-Russian opposition Center Party, got only 24.8 percent of votes.

The fight between the two political parties centered on taxes and national security concerns, as well as on the candidates' stand on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

In his victory speech, the prime minister said he will look into the possibility of forming a new government with the junior coalition party, the Social Democrats.

He may also seek out one more coalition partner so that his party will be able to secure a majority rule in the 101-member parliament.

Prior to the elections, the ruling Reform Party and the pro-Russian Center Party were running in a very close race.

Poll analysts also expected many of the votes divided over ethnic lines. One-fourth of Estonia's 1.3 million people are ethnic Russians.

Many voters worried that if the pro-Russian party would win, Estonia could be dragged into the crisis between Russia and Ukraine, and this could bring instability in the small Baltic nation.

The current strain in the relationship between Russia and the Western countries has also fueled concerns among Estonia's voters that Russia would want to reassert its power over the former Soviet states.

Russia's recent annexation of Crimea tends to back their fear.

The Center Party has a cooperation treaty with Russian President Vladimir Putin's United Russia.

While Estonia's leader Rovais is willing to coalesce with other political parties to be able to dominate congress, it has ruled out the possibility of any partnership with the Center Party.

During the campaign, Center Party leader Tallinn Mayor Edgar Savisaar had been confronted by his political enemies for his alleged failure to criticize Russia for its actions in Ukraine.

Estonia, like its Baltic neighbors, used to be part of the Soviet Union. It only regained its sovereignty in 1991.

The country is now part of the European Union and the alliance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

TagsEstonia, elections