Wants to go to elections. Peretz
Photo: Yaron Brenner
In no hurry to set date for elections. Sharon
Photo: Reuters
End of the coalition?
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Labor Chairman Amir Peretz scheduled to meet early Thursday; Peretz expected to announce Labor’s official decision to leave government, ask that elections be held as soon as possible; PM expected to delay deliberations on date for elections
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Labor Party Chairman Amir Peretz are scheduled to meet in Tel Aviv on Thursday morning.
Peretz is expected to announce the end of the coalition between Labor and the Likud, and will notify the prime minister of the resignations of Labor ministers from the government, before asking for the date of the general elections to be brought forward as early as possible.
Political Threat
Attila Somfalvi
Ruling party decides to unite in face of Labor party leader Amir Peretz’ ‘radical plans’; earlier, Likud ‘rebel’ Uzi Landau vows to back Prime Minister Sharon should he be reelected as Likud chairman
Peretz is expected to tell Sharon: Mr. Prime minister, the time for elections has arrived. The Labor party has decided to leave the government. I ask that, in the name of national responsibility, we agree on an early elections date, so that they are cheap and short, and not expensive and long.
There are indications that Peretz will offer the beginning of March as the preferred elections date. The new Labor leader will also discuss the poverty problem in Israel, as well as the widening social gaps, and will say that the economic policy of the government should change.
The prime minister is expected to mainly hear Peretz out and tell him that he is sorry about his decision to break up the government. There are no indications to suggest that the prime minister will enter negotiations over the elections date at this point.
'The uncertainties are very difficult'
After meeting with Peretz, Sharon will speak with Opposition Chairman Tommy Lapid, who has already ruled out any possibility of joining the government to replace Labor. Lapid is therefore expected to reject all attempts by the prime minister to put together a new government.
A Likud meeting on Wednesday saw relative calm take hold of the previously divided party, due to the new threat posed to the ruling party by Peretz.
However, a Sharon source said that "the prime minister has not yet decided what he will do down the road. He still hasn't decided whether he will leave the Likud, or run as its head. The uncertainties are very difficult, but the time for decision is approaching. The prime minister will have to decide whether or not to run in Likud. As it appears today, the Likud is a very complex and problematic option. There is certainly a chance that a new party in Israel will be created."
During Wednesday's Likud meeting, Sharon refused to commit to remaining in the Likud, and did not say what his preferred elections date would be.
