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| By: Associated Press |
| Published: December 24, 2004 |
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Israel's Labor Party on Thursday voted for its leaders to serve as ministers in a joint government with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, bringing the new team a step closer to taking office.
Sharon, who for the moment heads a minority government, needs the alliance with Labor to carry out his Gaza pullout plan in the face of fierce opposition from hardliners, including some in his own Likud Party.
Labor has agreed in principle to join Sharon, receiving eight Cabinet places, including a vice premiership for party leader Shimon Peres. Sharon did not offer key posts like foreign affairs, defense or finance, leaving ministries such as environment and infrastructure for Labor.
Peres had his place in the running order guaranteed in advance and was not required to compete in Thursday's vote of the party's central committee. Labor officials announced that party whip Ofir Pines-Paz garnered the most votes, followed by former Cabinet secretary Yitzhak Herzog, both entering the Cabinet for the first time.
Former Cabinet ministers won the other five places; In descending order they were Binyamin Ben Eliezer, Dalia Itzik -- the only woman selected -- Shalom Simhon, Matan Vilnai and Haim Ramon.
Pines-Paz was to choose his ministry, followed in order by the next four on the list. The last two are to serve in the Cabinet without portfolios.
Labor was in a previous coalition with Likud but pulled out in late 2002 after less than two years of partnership, citing excessive government spending on settlements.
Holding up swearing in of the new Cabinet is the position for Peres. Legislation is required to create the post, and that might delay the process for a week or two.
The Labor Party's 2,188-member central committee voted through the day, ranking the candidates.
Sharon lost his parliamentary majority in the summer when ministers from pro-settler parties rebelled against the plan to dismantle all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the West Bank.
With Labor and a small ultra-Orthodox Jewish party also slated to join the coalition, Sharon's team would command 65 seats of the 120 in the Israeli parliament and assuring a Cabinet majority in favor of the plan to pull out of Gaza and a part of the West Bank. |
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