Poll gives Kadima 42 mandates, Labor 19, Likud 16

A TNS/ Teleseker poll published Monday in Ma'ariv showed Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Kadima party winning 42 mandates in the March Knesset elections, one more mandate than they had in last week's polls. The Likud gained three mandates for a total of 16, while Labor dropped from 22 mandates to 19. The poll indicated that Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was the favored candidate for prime minister, who had the support of 38.7 percent of the pollees. 28.7% would vote for Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu, and 7.5% would vote for Labor party chairman Amir Peretz.