Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
Photo: GIl Yochanan
Olmert to replace PM until elections
Attorney general to inform acting prime minister he will continue to serve in place of Sharon until elections; Mazuz not rushing to declare prime minister is permanently unfit to lead country
Attorney General Menachem Mazuz is expected to inform Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Sunday he will continue serving as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's replacement until elections time because the PM is temporary unable to fill the post.
Mazuz and Olmert will meet Sunday afternoon to discuss the matter. Meanwhile, legal officials say they will refrain, for the time being, from declaring Sharon is permanently incapable of being prime minister. The officials said they will not rush to make such declaration because for the time being government stability remains intact.
Ariel Sharon
Shani Mizrahi
Although doctors reduce dosage of sedatives given to Sharon to almost minimal level, he remains unconscious
Last week, Mazuz announced that Prime Minister Sharon is temporarily unable to function, therefore designating Olmert as his replacement.
By law, should Sharon be declared permanently unfit to be prime minister, any other Kadima minister will be able to replace him. As a result, it is possible that Kadima, Sharon's party, will end up holding a vote to determine Sharon's replacement.
Meanwhile, Sharon's condition continues to be critical but stable, hospital officials in Jerusalem said. Over the weekend, doctors officially declared the prime minister is in a coma, Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported. Experts estimate that the coming month will be critical in determining Sharon's condition in the future.
Meanwhile, concerns among Sharon's family members are growing, Yedioth Ahronoth reported. The prime minister's son, Gilad, who would speak to Sharon every day, has reportedly stopped doing so after his father showed no reaction to the words, the newspaper said.
