Israel's president and parliament agreed on March 28 as the date for general elections, but need to iron out some procedural issues before the decision becomes final, officials said yesterday.
Israeli President Moshe Katsav and Parliament Speaker Reuven Rivlin were meeting at the president's residence yesterday morning to wrap up a deal, said parliament spokesman Giora Pordes.
The agreement kicks off a campaign centering on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's new centrist party and its potential to shake the Israeli political structure to its foundations.
PHOTO: AP
A March election would come eight months ahead of schedule. The election was forced by a rebellion in Sharon's Likud over his Gaza withdrawal and a decision by his coalition partner, the moderate Labor Party, to leave the government.
Earlier this week, Sharon quit Likud, the party he helped found in 1973 and opened the possibility of the first major political realignment since 1977, when Likud rose to power for the first time.
For decades, Israel's body politic has been split almost evenly between those who favor concessions for peace with the Palestinians and those who oppose them. Sharon, leader of the hard-liners, suddenly broke with Likud's hawkish ideology with the Gaza pullout this summer. A good showing by Sharon's new party, combined with increased support for the traditionally dovish Labor, could break the long-standing stalemate.
Newspaper polls predicted that Sharon's party would win the election, with a rejuvenated Labor Party placing second and the remainder of Likud far behind.
Late on Tuesday, the parliament and president agreed to set March 28 as the date for the new elections, officials said.
Parliament spokesman Giora Pordes said that under the agreement, the parliament would pass a law calling elections, while allowing Sharon to appoint new Cabinet ministers in the interim.
Sharon had asked Katsav to dissolve the parliament, and Katsav agreed -- but the parliament proceeded with its legislation, setting up a conflict.
After a day of negotiations, Katsav accepted the arrangement, said his spokeswoman, Hagit Cohen. "From the president's perspective, this is acceptable," she said.
The parliament was set to pass the election bill in the first of three votes yesterday, Pordes said.
Sharon's opponents in his old party began the race to replace him, while taking potshots at their former leader.
Former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the front-runner to head Likud, called Sharon a dictator who pursued "one-man-rule, who apparently doesn't recognize democracy, and is setting up a party of puppets."
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom announced on Tuesday he would challenge Netanyahu, joining Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, Agriculture Minister Israel Katz and former Cabinet minister Uzi Landau in the race to lead Likud into the next election. Acting Likud chairman Tzachi Hanegbi recommended the party hold elections for a new leader on Dec. 19.
Likud defectors who joined the prime minister's new party said it would support a deal with the Palestinians based on the internationally backed "road map" peace plan.
"The process clearly is a process that leads in the direction of two states," Justice Minister Tzipi Livni told Army Radio. "We will lead using the direction of two states."
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