Livni aides deny she is planning to oust Olmert
Sources in foreign minister's office say she has not been holding secret talks to discuss possibility of replacing prime minister. Livni expected to publicly respond to Winograd Commission report on Wednesday; Kadima officials estimate she will not be able to ignore harsh criticism
Livni is expected to break her silence on Wednesday. Sources in Kadima estimated that the minister would not be able to ignore the severe conclusions against the prime minister over his conduct during the Second Lebanon War, but would nonetheless convey a message of unity.
However, her associates denied reports coming from the Prime Minister's Office, according to which Livni was working to bring down the prime minister.
The prime minister's associates accused Livni on Tuesday of trying to oust Olmert along with Coalition Chairman Avigdor Itzchaky.
"There is no doubt that this is a mutiny attempt, but this attempt has lost its momentum. She tried to rebel through Avigdor Itzchaky, the same Itzchaky who showed up at the Prime Minister's Office on the eve of the report's publication and fully supported the prime minister.
"This behavior is irresponsible and is not expected of someone who really wants to implement the report. Therefore, the attempt will not succeed," an aide to Olmert said.
Earlier, the sources accused Livni of secretly meeting with Kadima officials to discuss an option of replacing Olmert. They asserted that Livni was looking into the possibility of bringing Olmert down and holding new elections, or replacing him in the current Knesset.
They added that Livni was checking how many Knesset members would back her if she came out against Olmert.
Calls for resignation
As time passes, Kadima members have formed a group calling to oust the prime minister. In the meantime, only two MKs, Marina Solodkin and Michael Nudelman, said in public that Olmert should resign.
"In a Western country, after such a report, there would be no doubt that the prime minister must resign, but here we have a different tradition – we are country of chaos," MK Nudelman said. "Olmert is not the only one to blame, but I think he will have to resign soon. He will not be able to face the pressure from the parties and the public."
After making the statement, Nudelman has a talk with Olmert, and the Prime Minister's Office later said that the MK took back his earlier calls for resignation.
MK Solodkin said, "I believe there is no other option but for Olmert to resign. The Winograd report is unequivocal. The report rules that he has failed, and it is even more severe than the leaks which preceded the publication. The report is unequivocal and Olmert must resign."
Also Tuesday, Coalition Chairman Avigdor Itzchaky began looking into his fellow coalition members' stance over the continuation of Olmert's tenure as prime minister.
Itzchaky told Ynet on Tuesday that he was holding talks with Kadima's Knesset members over the question whether Olmert should resign.
"I am not organizing anything at the moment. It's my duty as chairman of the coalition to look into the situation and examine everyone's opinions in order to know what people think. I am holding talks and checking who is in favor and who opposes the prime minister's resignation," Itzchaky said.
Ronny Sofer contributed to the report
