New P.M. today

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33516, 23 April 1974, Page 15

New P.M. today

(N.Z.P. A. -Reuter—Copyright)

TEL AVIV, April 22. The Israeli Labour Party will choose a successor to the Prime Minister (Mrs Meir) today against a background of continued fighting with Syria.

The battle along the Golan Heights front entered its forty-first day yesterday, though on a more subdued note, with Israeli attacks around Mount Hermon and intermittent artillery exchanges. [ The Israelis again accused !the Syrians of violating the cease-fire agreement by beginning the shelling. Israel says [its forces returned the artilllery fire and that all of its

planes returned safely to base.

On the political front, the Labour Party’s supreme body, the Central Committee, was supposed to make its choice of a candidate for the premiership yesterday. But first the 600-member body had to settle one of the many questions troubling the divided party: whether to try to set up a new government or to call for a new General Election with Mrs Meir’s caretaker Cabinet governing until this could be held in about six months.

After a stormy session in Tel Aviv, the committee voted by about 283 votes to 170 to form another Administration.

At present there are two official candidates for the party nomination — the Labour Minister (Mr Yitzhak Rabin) and the Information Minister (Mr Shimon Peres).

However, other party leaders may announce their candidacy today, particularly the Foreign Minister (Mr Abba Eban).