Zelekha. Fighting
Photo: Vadim Daniel
Pines-Paz. Due process
Photo: Niv Calderon
Zelekha's dismissal muddies relations between Olmert, Barak
Prime minister, Labor chairman on the outs following MK Pines-Paz's request to discuss accountant-general's dismissal in Knesset session
Accountant-General Yaron Zelekha's upcoming dismissal is causing tensions in the coalition to run high.
Finance Minister Ronnie Bar-On's August decision not
to renew Zelekha's contract caused several Labor Knesset members to go to his defense, resulting in rising tensions between the Prime Minister's Office and their party.
The situation is believed to be so delicate, that on Monday officials in the Prime Minister's Office tried to prevent a the matter from being discussed in Tuesday's Knesset session.
Dismissal Affair
Accountant-general wants Lindenstrauss to issue injunction against the non-extension of his contract
On Monday, MK Ophir Pines-Paz (Labor), along with several of his peers from Meretz, called on Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik to add Zelekha's dismissal to Tuesday's agenda.
The Knesset secretariats informed the Prime Minister's Office of the request, which led official in the office to approach Labor Chairman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak and ask him to intervene.
"The prime minister's involvement (in the dismissal) is outrageous. Labor will not allow one party to force the hand of another. This is an illegal interference in the Knesset's due process," Pines-Paz told Ynet.
A source in the Prime Minister's Office confirmed that Barak had been contacted in the matter, but sources in Barak's office refused to comment.
The Prime Minister's Office seems to be on the outs with Avigdor Lieberman's office as well, over his demand to examine what he referred to as illegal Palestinian construction in Area C.
Sources in the Yisrael Beiteinu party told Ynet that Lieberman wanted Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to understand his partnership in the coalition is by no means guaranteed.
Lieberman met recently with opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud), and the two have apparently agreed to coordinate some of their political moves.
