Prime Minister Ehud Olmert shouldeventually be replaced by Vice Premier Shimon Peres in light of the Winograd Commission’s severe conclusions ,Labor officials said Tuesday.
A Labor member close to former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who is running for party chairmanship, said, “An experienced person who is trusted and accepted should be running the country during this period.
“Livni is a political bluff and is even less experienced and qualified than Olmert, and therefore Peres should be the leading candidate to replace the prime minister,” he said.
'Government can continue to function.' Peres in south (photo: Herzel Yosef)
Peres told reporters in Beer Sheva that the government was "capable of functioning" in its current state.
Meanwhile, members of Olmert’s Kadima party are expecting senior party officials to publicly call for the prime minister’s resignation.
“Top Kadima officials will make headlines soon,” one official said, apparently alluding to Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
Earlier on Tuesday Labor Party minister Eitan Cabel announced that he was resigning fromthe government.
“Ehud Olmert is responsible for the war’s failures and must resign,” Cabel told a Tel Aviv press conference.
“The public has lost its faith in the prime minister. I cannot sit in a government with Olmert at its head.”