這英文句子內的 "narrowly" 點解?

原文: BBC Learning English

...said a new page had to be turned in order to achieve the national entente needed for security and development. (But the man who came "narrowly" ahead of him in the elections, lyad Allawi, stressed the need for real power-sharing including in the decision making process.)

1)這英文句子內的 "narrowly " 點解? (是否 "勉強" 的意思嗎？)

2)可否解釋括號內的一句中文的意思, 謝謝。