
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, May 18, 1990                   TAG: 9005180351
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE: JERUSALEM                                LENGTH: Medium

SHAMIR WINS TIME FOR COALITION EFFORT

Acting Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, mired in the political complexities of his effort to set up a new government, Thursday won a three-week postponement from President Chaim Herzog of the deadline for presenting his coalition to parliament.

The latest extension of Israel's political crisis, which has already lasted nine weeks, came as Shamir struggled to reconcile the competing demands of the nine parliamentary factions he must join with his Likud Party to establish a one-vote majority in the Knesset, or parliament. These include three extreme right-wing parties, three Orthodox religious parties and three splinter groups - two of which are made up of only one person.

Though he has yet to complete agreements with any of the principal factions, Shamir's aides said he is confident he will be able to present a right-wing government to parliament before the expiration of his new mandate on June 7. At the same time, they said the slow pace of the talks reflected in part Shamir's reluctance to form a right-wing coalition as well as his concern over the instability of its one-vote majority.

"To go with one vote is possible, but it's not ideal," said Avi Pazner, Shamir's spokesman. "To do it, you have to make an ironclad agreement with every member of the coalition, or you will be in a situation where the government can be put at the mercy of the demands of any one Knesset member."

Pazner said Shamir had decided to extend his negotiations in part in the hope of winning over another religious party, Agudat Israel, which until now has supported Labor in the crisis. That would increase Shamir's strength in the 120-member Knesset from 61 to 65 votes and allow him to avoid ultimatums from one- and two-member factions.

Shamir's hesitation has encouraged speculation that he still hopes to re-establish a "national unity" government with the left-of-center Labor party, which failed in its own five-week effort to put together a narrow coalition. But Likud officials continue to maintain that a new pact between Likud and Labor is not likely. "Shamir would prefer it, but it can't happen now," said one aide. "The trust between the two sides is gone."

by CNB