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Barak, Weighing his options
Photo: Ehud Barak
Talansky. Testified Tuesday
Photo: Alex Kolomoisky
MK Cohen: Olmert must resign
Photo: Ofer Amram
Livnat. Demanded elections
Photo: Dudi Vaaknin

Report: Barak may call on Olmert to resign

Following key witness Talansky's pre-trial deposition, right, left-wing MKs call on prime minister to step down. Channel 1 says Labor chairman may ask Olmert to quit or suspend himself. Livnat: Olmert must go, elections must be held

Following the preliminary testimony of American businessman Morris Talansky before the Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday as to his involvement in the affair that implicates Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in accepting cash envelopes from the former, left and right-wing Knesset Members began to call on Olmert to resign from office.

 

According to a Channel 1 report, defense minster and Labor Party Chairman Ehud Barak is considering calling on Olmert to resign or suspend himself and may approach the minister with such a demand on Wednesday.

 

Barak may hold a special press conference at the Knesset on Wednesday afternoon, in which he will announce that the prime minister cannot stay in office.

 

The defense minister's close advisor told Ynet that Barak "does not intend to leave things vague. He will hold a consultation, perhaps a telephone consultation with the faction members, and will say what he has to say.

 

"There is no need for drama. Barak is not going to resign. We will hear what he plans to do after the consultations with the Labor faction members and ministers."

 

In a closed forum, Barak said that "sitting at this government table is difficult for me. I have not hidden my indecision in the past. I had doubts before the Winograd Report was published… I did not hide my opinion."

 

One senior Labor official said he believed the party should remain in the coalition for the time being, but another party member said "continuing to sit at the cabinet table is very difficult."

 

Meretz-Yahad Chairman Chaim Oron said, "I call on Olmert once again to suspend himself immediately. His rights as a civilian and his obligations as prime minister have created an unbridgeable gap. The only outlet is the halting of his service as prime minister."

 

MK Ran Cohen (Meretz-Yahad) added, "Despite my support for the political process that Olmert is leading, if what Talansky says is true Olmert cannot spend another day sitting in the chair of the prime minister."

 

Right-wing MKs also called on Olmert to resign. MK Limor Livnat (Likud) said, "Though Olmert and his people have attempted to undermine Morris Talansky, today we have discovered that indeed the prime minister had received hundreds of thousands of dollars in envelopes, in cash and not checks. If anyone had doubts, Talansky's testimony proved that Olmert must go and an election must be held."

 

MK Zevulun Orlev (National Union-National Religious Party) demanded that the coalition parties resign from the government.

 

"Talansky's testimony constitutes a severe public indictment against Olmert. The prime minister, who asked for and received envelopes with cash, has lost his moral authority. The coalition parties will be acting as accessories to this felony if they do not bring his reign to an end," he said.

 


פרסום ראשון: 05.27.08, 20:44
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