Livni: Mofaz will serve as senior minister in my cabinet

Kadima leader meets fellow party member to ease tensions, says he will be her locum tenens; Mofaz promises to back Livni throughout election campaign
Attila Somfalvi

Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni met with fellow party member Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz in an attempt to ease the tension between them ahead of the February 10 general elections.

Livni told Mofaz that she plans on appointing him a senior minister should she win the elections and would also serve as her locum tenens.

Mofaz, for his part, told Livni he would support her throughout the campaign irrespective of his role in her cabinet.

Kadima officials said new figures are expected to join the party in the near future and compete for a place on its roster for the upcoming Knesset.

Sources close to Livni said the chairwoman will release a number of statements in the coming days to stress that Kadima is a centrist party, this after Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Livni's stance vis-à-vis the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.