Swedes go to polls

Press, 20 September 1982, Page 8

Swedes go to polls

NZPA-Reuter Stockholm Swedes are voting in a General Election today, the former Prime Minister, Olaf Palme, and his opposition Social Democrats tipped to win narrowly. A Social Democrat proposal to set up collectivelyowned funds to buy into industry has run into popular, opposition and turned what was expected to be an easy election for Mr Palme into a close race. The last opinion poll showed that the, Social Democrats would have the biggest block of Parliamentary seats without relying on the Communists for a majority.

But other surveys suggested that Mr Palme's ability, to form a Government

could binge on whether the Communists won the necessary 4 per cent of the vote needed to enter Parliament.

Some commentators predicted that another nonsocialist coalition would succeed the minority CentreLiberal Government of Thorbjoern Faelldin. a Centrist. who ousted the Social Democrats after 44 years in 1976.

Swedish politics are now virtually paralysed, with Mr Faelldin relying on the opposition Conservatives for a majority of one in the 349seat Riksdag (Parliament). The faltering economy was the main election issue, and Mr Palme promised in a television debate at the week-end to give Sweden a dynamic Government.