Premier Yitzhak Shamir and Labor Party chairman Shimon Peres failed, after a long meeting tonight, to reach agreement on an election date. They are scheduled to meet again tomorrow morning.
Peres told reporters that both sides remained “entrenched” in their positions. He said Labor wants “a short campaign of 90 days” with elections in May. Likud is holding out for a fall date. But according to Peres, there is “a marked tendency on both sides” to reach a compromise. Political observers took this as a hint that agreement may yet emerge and that elections will be held late in June or early in July.
Present law requires 100 days to elapse between the time the Knesset dissolves itself and election day. The law is subject to change. The Knesset approved Labor’s early elections bill last Thursday and sent it to the Legal Committee to be prepared for the required three readings before the Knesset plenum and final action.
BID TO EXTEND KNESSET SESSION FAILS
Labor urged that the present Knesset session be extended for one week to expedite the process. But Knesset Speaker Menachem Savidor decided to adjourn the Knesset tomorrow as scheduled for its Passover recess.
The Knesset can be convened during a recess either by the government or on a motion supported by at least 30 members. Moshe Shahal, chairman of the Labor Alignment Knesset faction, said today that Labor would resort to that device if action on the bill appears to be lagging.
Savidor promised today that he would tolerate no foot-dragging and would personally chair the Legal Committee if necessary to expedite work on the bill.
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