Shimon Peres. Israel ninth president?
Photo: Gil Yochanan
I've decided to run for president, Peres tells associates
Peres will run for presidency even in secret ballot, say associates
Vice premier Shimon Peres has told associates that he has made up his mind and is determined to run for Israel's presidency, Ynet discovered Monday. Peres has not stated officially that he was running, and there were those of the opinion that he would not run in a secret ballot. Today, however, he made it clear that he would.
This would put him out of the running to replace Ehud Olmert should the latter resign following the Winograd Commission report.
The seven-year term of suspended President Moshe Katsav is scheduled to come to its conclusion at the end of July. One month earlier, the Knesset is scheduled to elect the State of Israel's ninth president.
Until today, only MK Reuven Rivlin (Likud) and MK Colette Avital (Labor) had announced their candidacy.
One other name that has come up as a possible presidential candidate is Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, Israel's former chief rabbi, who has not yet stated whether he would run.
MK Yoel Hasson Kadima initiated the Peres Law for an open vote for president in the Knesset plenumin an attempt to improve Peres' chances for election, but in March, he put the bill on hold and said he would only introduce it after Katsav's replacement has been elected.
Ynet last week reportedthat the Labor party was preparing for the possibility of a new coalition. Labor officials close to Ehud Barak said that Labor should try to replace Olmert with Shimon Peres as prime minister.
