Sharon regains lead in election race

By Dan Williams, Jerusalem

Opposition Labour Party leader Amram Mitzna on Tuesday ruled out entering another bloc led by Sharon's right-wing Likud, a move analysts said backfired amid public concern about a continued Palestinian uprising and a possible war over Iraq.

A survey commissioned by the liberal daily Ha'aretz saw Likud winning 30 seats in the 120-seat Knesset (parliament) in the January 28 election, up from 27 predicted in a January 9 poll by the paper after Likud was tainted by a funding scandal.