41.   To win election, and remain in government afterward, mainstream socialist parties have been drawn into an acrimonious law-and-order competition with the political right.

42.   While most polls show the RPR-UDF coalition as likely to win, their margin over the opposition Socialist party is narrowing.

43.   Ozawa suggested that Murayama was still influenced by the longtime contention of his Socialist party, reversed last year, that the military is unconstitutional.

44.   Parliament gave Premier Costas Simitis a resounding vote of confidence early Wednesday, following two days of debate that exposed deep rifts in the governing Socialist party.

45.   Others expressed opposition in public, accusing the former socialist party of sacrificing its principles to regain power.

46.   Pena Gomez also was regional vice president of the Socialist International association of democratic socialist parties.

47.   Premier Costas Simitis faced calls from key aides Sunday to reshuffle the cabinet and revamp poor public services after his Socialist party lost European Parliament elections last Sunday.

48.   Premier Costas Simitis on Wednesday declared war on corruption and public sector graft in the wake of an illegal gambling scandal that tainted his governing socialist party.

49.   Premier Costas Simitis was re-elected Sunday as leader of the governing Socialist party, but dissenters snubbed the vote.

50.   Premier Costas Simitis won his bid Sunday to lead his Socialist party to a fresh four-year mandate, beating down a strong challenge by the conservative opposition.