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| By israelinsider staff May 6, 2007 |
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Vice premier Shimon Peres reportedly told close associates that he has decided to run for Israel's presidency, Ynet reported Monday.
Even though the race is expected next month, Peres has not officially declared his candidacy, and it was believed that he would not run in a secret ballot, after his bitter upset loss to Moshe Katzav in 2000, blamed by Peres on Knesset members secretly voting contrary to their public promises. Peres has never won any election.
Today, however, he indicated, privately, that he would do just that, if the Ynet reports is to be believed.
Running for president would prevent Peres from competing to replace Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should the latter resign following the final Winograd Commission report. Peres staunchly backed Olmert's decision not to resign and was his most outspoken supporter.
MK Reuven Rivlin (Likud) and MK Colette Avital (Labor) have so far announced their candidacy to be Israel's ninth president.
At age 84, Peres perhaps decided to go for the bird in hand (the Presidential election) rather than waiting for the bird in the bush (Olmert's resignation).
Earlier: Peres eyes Prime Minister's seat as loyalty reward
Peres last week assured Kadima members that he would not back any plots to kick Olmert out of office. He would not, however, rule out being prime minister himself, a senior aide said.
Peres insists that the government must be preserved and that ministers ought to focus on fixing its problems rather than ousting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Peres' prospects improved for taking Olmert's place, eventually, improved after Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, whom many believed was the frontrunner to be his successor, fumbled the chance to lead a rebellion. She was only one of three members of his party to call for this resignation. The other two are MK Avigdor Yitzhaki and MK Marina Solodkin.
Emerging from a stormy meeting with the Prime Minister and his Kadima faction Wednesday, Peres told reporters: "It?s a great day for Kadima, the government and Ehud Olmert." He said "the prime minister enjoyed unprecedented support here".
According to a report in Yedioth Ahronoth, Meretz MK Yossi Beilin met Peres last Thursday in an attempt to persuade him to replace Olmert and to prevent early elections.
Olmert said Saturday that he does not intend to fire Livni at this stage, but his aides continue to talk about her cowardice, subversiveness and lies, Haaretz reported. The two met Sunday to discuss "policy issues."
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