LONDON — Conservative leader David Cameron claimed the right to govern Britain, appealing to the center-left Liberal Democrats today to join him in forming a government and attempting to calm financial markets spooked by an unresolved election.

Cameron's Tories won the most seats in Thursday's vote but did not take enough seats to form a majority, prompting a competition with Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour party for support from the third-place Liberal Democrats.

Cameron told reporters a stable government was needed quickly to calm markets and said the Tories would promise to implement parts of Liberal Democratic election manifesto, but stopped short of offering to fulfill their demand of electoral reform.

He offered the party, and their leader Nick Clegg, an all-party committee of inquiry to examine the issue.

"I want to make a big, open and comprehensive offer to the Liberal Democrats," Cameron said.

Brown went further in a similar public approach to the Liberal Democrats, saying he agreed with their demands.