The French government won, as expected, avote of parliamentary confidence sought by Prime Minister
Jacques Chirac on his general policies.
    Votes from Chirac's Gaullist RPR party and its junior
partner in the ruling coalition, the centre-right UDF, gave
Chirac's cabinet a slim majority in the National Assembly.
    A total of 294 deputies in the 577-member assembly voted to
support Chirac, with 282 voting against. One member was absent.
    The Socialists, Communists and the extreme-right National
Front voted against the prime minister's call.
 REUTER
