The ruling pro-Western coalition in Lebanon has declared victory over the Hezbollah-led alliance, according to local television.

"I present this victory to Lebanon," Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said on television after local stations predicted his victory. "It is an exceptional day for democracy in Lebanon."

Official results will not be released until later Monday, but the coalition's supporters took to the streets, firing their guns in the air and setting off fireworks.

Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation, a private Christian TV station, projected the pro-Western coalition to win 68 seats, with 57 going to Hezobollah and its allies and three to independents.

Heading into the vote, the pro-Western bloc had 70 seats, while the Hezbollah-led alliance had 58.

Most of the seats are, more or less, pre-ordained due to sectarian voting patterns of the various blocs. Seats in parliament are apportioned in equal numbers to Christian and Muslim sects under a power-sharing formula that has been in place since the end of a 15-year civil war in 1989.

The election results were seen as an early test of U.S. President Barack Obama's Middle East peace initiative. A Hezbollah victory would have been a boost to its backers in Iran and Syria.

According to unofficial results Siniora, 66, who has enjoyed Western support, won a parliamentary seat in the southern city of Sidon.

The Western-backed group is supported mostly by Sunni Muslims who stand behind majority leader Saad Hariri, and includes Christian and Druze factions.

The Hezbollah coalition includes the Shiite movement Amal, as well as a Christian faction under former army chief Michel Aoun.

About 50,000 soldiers and police were dispatched to polling stations to maintain order, but no incidents of violence have been reported anywhere in the country.

Also watching over the process was a group of international election observers, which included Canadian NDP MP Paul Dewar, who was stationed Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.

Dewar told CTV News Channel the voting seemed to go smoothly.

"There was no overt intimidation that I saw or any money changing hands, or anything that would be undermining the authority of the vote result," Dewar said.

Dewar also noted that the government had instituted new voting safeguards.

"For first time they bought in process where the voters mark their thumps with indelible ink, and they have invited world community observation teams to come," Dewar said. "I think this will bode well to ensure that there are fair elections."

The results are also being closely watched by members of Canada's large Lebanese community.

The Western bloc took power in 2005, the year that former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed in a car bombing.

Since then, the government has been largely ineffective due to power struggles with Hezbollah.

Some Christians believe that welcoming Hezbollah into the legitimate political process will bring an end to sectarian conflict.

Others believe that Hezbollah would align Lebanon too closely with Iran, drawing it into further conflict with Israel.

With files from The Associated Press