A poll in the Hebrew daily Ma'ariv gives the Peretz-led Labor party 27 mandates. A survey conducted by Professor Camil Fuchs for Haaretz-Dialog gave Labor 28 seats, while the Likud led by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon received 39 mandates, only one less than the current number.
Peretz already has made it clear that Labor will not remain in the coalition with Prime Minister Sharon. The only question concerning elections is whether the Prime Minister and Peretz will agree on the timing of new elections or whether Labor will force the issue and topple the government unilaterally.
Labor currently has 21 Knesset members, including Peretz and one other MK from his Am Echad faction, which merged with Labor last year. The Likud party has 40 seats. Shinui (15), the National Religious Party (formerly six MKs and now four) and the Hareidi United Torah Judaism party (five MKs, now in two factions) have been in various coalitions since the last elections.
Labor's new support will come from the ranks of Shinui and the six-member Meretez-Yachad party. Both parties will be left with half of their present strength, according to the poll.
The survey's results also halve the strength of the Shas party, which has 11 MKs. Peretz holds appeal to disaffected Shas supporters, but so does the National Union party, which can win more than 20 mandates if it merges with the National Religious party (NRP), according to recent polls.
Peretz's victory has caused a wave of euphoria among working-class party members and in the Sephardic community. The new party chairman, who has headed the national Histadrut labor union for many years, was born in Morocco in 1952 and grew up in the working-class Negev town of Sderot. His win over long-time party leader Shimon Peres represents a revolution in the party, whose Ashkenazi members have dominated the party since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
Peretz already has made it clear that Labor will not remain in the coalition with Prime Minister Sharon. The only question concerning elections is whether the Prime Minister and Peretz will agree on the timing of new elections or whether Labor will force the issue and topple the government unilaterally.
Labor currently has 21 Knesset members, including Peretz and one other MK from his Am Echad faction, which merged with Labor last year. The Likud party has 40 seats. Shinui (15), the National Religious Party (formerly six MKs and now four) and the Hareidi United Torah Judaism party (five MKs, now in two factions) have been in various coalitions since the last elections.
Labor's new support will come from the ranks of Shinui and the six-member Meretez-Yachad party. Both parties will be left with half of their present strength, according to the poll.
The survey's results also halve the strength of the Shas party, which has 11 MKs. Peretz holds appeal to disaffected Shas supporters, but so does the National Union party, which can win more than 20 mandates if it merges with the National Religious party (NRP), according to recent polls.
Peretz's victory has caused a wave of euphoria among working-class party members and in the Sephardic community. The new party chairman, who has headed the national Histadrut labor union for many years, was born in Morocco in 1952 and grew up in the working-class Negev town of Sderot. His win over long-time party leader Shimon Peres represents a revolution in the party, whose Ashkenazi members have dominated the party since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.