VIDEO - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is expected to arrive at the President's Residence at 7:30 pm Sunday in order to submit his resignation to President Shimon Peres .His government will then become a transit government until newly elected Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livn iforms a new coalition or decides to call elections.
President Peres will next consult with representatives of the different factions, who will recommend whom he should task with forming a new government – most likely Foreign Minister Livni.
Peres is not wasting any time, and will meet with Kadima faction representatives at 8:10 pm.
The Knesset member tasked with the mission will be given 28 days, with a possible extension of 14 days. If this person fails, the president is authorized to order a different MK to form a coalition within an additional 28 days. Should the second MK fail to do so, the general elections will be moved up and will be held within 90 days.
On Sunday morning, Olmert informed the cabinet that he would be stepping down, just 33 months after taking office.
He began Sunday's cabinet meeting by wishing Livni the best of luck, and pledging her his support. "I hope she can form a coalition soon and I will give her any support she needs in the process. I know how hard it is to do, as does (Defense Minister Ehud) Barak," he added.
He then went on to speak of the recent financial crisis tohit Wall Street, Israel's accomplishment in the Paralympics' Olympic Games, the death of former Chief of IDF Personnel Moshe Nativ and even Israel's national basketball team's victory overthe Czech Republic in Saturday's game, before getting to the main event.
Livni and Olmert shake hands (Photo: Reuters)
"I hereby inform the ministers that I will be stepping down," he told the cabinet. "This was not an easy decision to make, but I think I'm doing the right thing, as I promised the Israeli public I would.
"I believe this government has done some very worthwhile things, the kind of things that will go down in the pages of history as ones which have made us all proud," he said.
Labor pushes for emergency government
Ahead of the dramatic announcement, the Labor Party heldits weekly faction meeting. Party Chairman Ehud Barak briefedhis ministers on his weekend meeting with Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu ,saying that Israel's needs call for an emergency government.
"In view of the political, financial and security challenges we face, what Israel needsnow is a national emergency government," he said, adding that Netanyahu told him he believed the right thing to do was to strive for general elections as soon as possible.
Shas ChairmanEli Yishai said before entering the cabinet meeting that "no one, not even Olmert, has any political or moral authority to push any controversial decisions right now."
Yishai added that the religious party's spiritual leader had spoken with Opposition Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu and told him that any decision about the new coalition would only be made after a decision at the Council of Torah Sages.
"Shas won't give up the two main anchors – dealing with the social and economic crises, which mean a solution for a million hungry children, and the diplomatic issues focusing on Jerusalem," he said.
The president's office said Sunday that the responsibility of handing the president the official notice of resignation lies in Olmert's hands.
Should the prime minister meet with the Peres on Sunday, said a source in the president's office, Peres would still have time to reschedule his upcoming departure to New York, in order to meet with the faction heads and task one of them with forming the new government.
According to Basic Law: The Government, once a prime minister has officially tendered his resignation, the president has one week to name the party leader who will form the next government.
Olmert stands to remain in office as head of the transit government until an alternative government is formed, or a general elections called.
First published: 10:46, 09.21.8