Swedish outgoing premier tasked to form new government The speaker of Sweden's parliament gives the outgoing Social Democrats Prime Minister, Stefan Lofven, a mandate to form a government a day after a rival centre-right leader failed in his first attempt. Neither centre-left nor the centre-right bloc won a majority in a September 9 election after a far-right, anti-immigration party gained ground and left Sweden caught in political deadlock. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES