The most striking outcome of the congressional election in July was the relative failure of the Islamists, whose main party, Justice and Construction, allied to the Muslim Brotherhood, got only 17 out of the 80 seats elected by proportional representation on party lists, whereas a coalition of secularists, liberals and milder Islamists won 39.

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The stand-off is thought to have taken place between the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) - allied to the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party - and the militant Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).

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The opposition from his own party, from the construction industry and postal workers, and from much of the bureaucracy, seemed too great.

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The party also plans a big increase in the construction of government-subsidised housing.

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Apart from being the biggest employer in Japan, putting the rice on the table in one out of every six households, the construction industry is by far the largest contributor to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

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Some Labour members have joined the small but growing cross-party ginger-group that advocates unilateral Israeli withdrawal from most of the territories, and the construction of a strongly defended border fence.

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