Ami Ayalon, supporting Peres
Photo: Niv Calderon
Shimon Peres
Photo: Hagai Aharon
MK Colette Avital, doesn't stand a chance?
Photo: Yaron Brenner
MK Ayalon urges Labor to back Peres for president
Leading candidate for Labor chairmanship MK Ami Ayalon says party should back presidential candidate with real chance of winning. Rival presidential candidate MK Colette Avital's aides accuse Ayalon of self-serving interests
MK Ami Ayalon (Labor-Meimad), one of the leading candidates for the Labor chairmanship, urged his fellow party members to support Vice Premier Shimon Peres of Kadima for president on Saturday.
"We must show leadership and national responsibility and support Peres for the presidency," said Ayalon.
Ayalon added that he was upset about Peres' leaving the Labor party and stated that this was a move he would not forget.
Ayalon also praised his fellow Labor member presidential candidate MK Colette Avital's achievements, despite the fact that they did not lead him to support her.
Ayalon stated that in order to ensure that MK Reuven Rivlin (Likud) did not take the presidential chair; his party would have to support a candidate that had a real chance of winning, namely, Shimon Peres.
On Monday afternoon, the Labor party's central committee is scheduled to convene in Tel Aviv where Ayalon is expected to call on the members to support his decision and back Peres in the race.
Despite the lack of support, and the fact that the chances of her getting elected are very slim, MK Avital still plans to run for presidency, claiming that at this point in time, she is more fit for the job than Shimon Peres.
Ayalon's display of support for Peres may also stem from self-serving interests, since Peres, a former Labor man, still has many supporters in the party, and anyone who supports Peres may win the votes of his comrades in the race for Labor head.
MK Avital's associates went so far as to accuse Ayalon of supporting Peres solely for this reason, "It's surprising that Ayalon, a Labor head candidate, would chose to support someone who has abandoned the party and caused it great political damage," they said.
"Ayalon's conduct comes from self-serving needs with no consideration of the party's best interests," they added.
