 |
 |
 |
|
|
Acting PM Ehud Olmert sits next to FM Tzipi Livni, Sunday (AP)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| By Israel Insider staff and partners April 24, 2006 |
|
| |
A leading member of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima Party resigned from the parliament and quit politics Sunday, the first casualty of negotiations to set up Israel's new coalition government.
Uriel Reichman held a pledge from then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to be named education minister, but Olmert, Sharon's successor, plans to deliver the ministry to his main partner, the Labor Party.
In March 28 elections, Kadima finished first but won only 29 seats in the 120-seat parliament. Labor came in second with 19, requiring the addition of other parties to arrive at a majority coalition.
The resulting Cabinet is likely to be one of Israel's largest, with about 27 ministers, to accommodate the demands of all the member parties.
Because of its relative strength, Labor was able to demand two main ministries, receiving defense and education. That means the current defense minister, Shaul Mofaz of Kadima, would have to step down.
Sharon founded Kadima in November, bolting the hawkish Likud because of its opposition to his pullout from Gaza last summer. Sharon took with him a dozen Likud members of parliament and several from Labor, including former Prime Minister Shimon Peres.
Polls showed Sharon's party winning more than 40 seats, but Sharon was struck down by a massive stroke on Jan. 4 and is still in a coma. He was declared permanently incapacitated earlier this month.
Olmert, Sharon's closest political ally, took over as prime minister and party leader, but Kadima gradually lost altitude in the polls.
Its election victory was less than the resounding endorsement of further Israeli pullbacks in Judea and Samaria Olmert had hoped for. Instead, his new Cabinet is likely to include at least one hawkish party that would oppose Olmert's plan to draw
Israel's border unilaterally if peace talks are impossible, pulling out of much of Judea and Samaria and moving Jewish settlers into several large blocs.
Olmert has until mid-May to complete his coalition, but he has said he expects to finish the negotiations sooner.
Reichman, who resigned as head of the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, a prestigious college, to run for parliament, told Channel 2 TV that he had Sharon's only public promise of a ministry. Olmert offered him another Cabinet post, he said, but he turned it down.
"I was prepared to enter politics only to serve as education minister," he said, adding he planned to return to the Herzliya institute. His post as president of the college has been filled by Amnon Rubinstein, a noted professor of law and former justice and education minister.
Israel's Olmert to meet Labor Party leader to sign first coalition agreement
Olmert is to meet Monday with Labor Party leader Amir Peretz to finalize a coalition partnership that will make it easier for the Israeli leader to achieve his goal of drawing the country's final borders by 2010.
Olmert, who has until late May to form a government, is also expected to meet later Monday with the Pensioners' Party to conclude a coalition agreement, Israeli media reported.
Peretz - a former union chief who catapulted to political power by ousting veteran statesman Shimon Peres from the Labor leadership in a party primary in November - will be defense minister in Olmert's government, Israeli media reported.
Olmert needs a strong government to push through with his withdrawal plan.
Olmert is holding intense negotiations with more hawkish parties who traditionally oppose such plans in the hopes that they will keep his government in power until an actual withdrawal begins.
AP contributed to this report.
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
|
