Israeli victory claims

Press, 25 July 1984, Page 10

Israeli victory claims

NZPA-AP Tel Aviv Israel’s two large political parties battled to a virtual draw in the General Election yesterday, raising fears that neither could forge an effective coalition with smaller parties. The Prime Minister, Mr Yitzhak Shamir, of the Likud bloc, and Shimon Peres, of the Labour Party, each claimed victory, based on partial results and computer projections. But Mr Shamir’s Likud appeared to have the better chance of forming a new Government, albeit an unwieldy nine or 10-party coalition relying heavily on the support of religious parties. The Central Elections Committee, in the first official tally, reported Labour ahead of Likud by 35.4 to 31.9 per cent of the valid votes cast. The percentage translates into 42 seats for Labour in the 120-member Parliament against Likud’s 38. But the apportioning of seats must be adjusted under a complicated formula in which fractions are translated into seats and redistributed among the parties.