Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., September 22, 2008 Elul 22, 5768 | | Israel Time: 01:40 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Labor sources: Barak seeks early general elections By Mazal Mualem, Shahar Ilan and Barak Ravid Tags: Ehud Barak  Defense Minister Ehud Barak and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu met late Saturday night at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv to discuss political developments, following the election of Kadima's new leader, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. They agreed to continue to regularly meet, while sources in Labor say the two men are cooperating to prepare for the possibility of early elections, which Barak seeks. Livni is likely to replace Prime Minister Ehud Olmert when the latter announces his resignation, possibly as early as today. Advertisement Barak and Netanyahu are Livni's rivals in a race for the premiership if early elections are called. Barak's aides said that since Livni was not working to establish a national unity government, action needed to be taken in that direction. Senior Labor Party figures said Barak understands that he has to prevent Livni from consolidating her popularity from the prime minister's chair, but does not want to be criticized for provoking elections. Barak is said to believe that Netanyahu will not join a Livni government, and this could be his pretext to call for elections. Livni's associates said it was strange that Barak met with the opposition leader before finding time to meet with Livni, despite her attempts since Thursday to schedule such a meeting. Netanyahu has called on Livni to announce early elections. A senior official close to the foreign minister said Livni was considering offering Netanyahu the Finance Ministry. If Netanyahu were to accept, Livni's aides said she would offer the Foreign Ministry to the current finance minister, Roni Bar-On. Netanyahu served as finance minister in Ariel Sharon's government, leading a series of economic measures including the cutting of child allowances. A proposal to Netanyahu might put pressure on Barak to join a Livni government so as not to lose important portfolios to Likud. Olmert is expected to announce his intention to resign at today's cabinet meeting. Olmert may also meet with President Shimon Peres as early as today to submit his resignation letter. Peres is due to leave for New York tomorrow night to attend the United Nations General Assembly, and will return a week from today. He is reportedly considering putting off his trip by a day to begin the consultations. After the prime minister's resignation, which goes into effect immediately, Peres would begin marathon consultations with party leaders, with the intention of appointing the candidate with the best chance to form a new government. Bookmark to del.icio.us   'Pilobolus in Israel' Now Israel's most beautiful sites can be visited in New York City. West Bank violence Palestinian woman dies after being shoved to the ground by IDF troops.   1.   Long live Livni!!! 03:06  |  Akiva P 21/09/08   2.   Only Way Forward For Israel Is New General Elections 03:16  |  Shepherd 21/09/08   3.   Barak and Netanyahu should hold a beauty peagant. 04:08  |  Fortuna Benmayor 21/09/08   4.   I hope this is true 04:14  |  Malone 21/09/08   5.   Barak is a disaster 04:30  |  Ralph 21/09/08   6.   Barak`s time 04:58  |  Robert Haymond 21/09/08   7.   Barak 05:11  |  Steven 21/09/08   8.   THE DEAL BEFORE KADIMA`S ELECTIONS UNFOLDING 05:35  |  Steve 21/09/08   9.   Great Labor Will Lose Even More Seats 06:35  |  Baruch Gold 21/09/08   10.   Is Barak a-snake-in-the-grass...? 06:50  |  Esther 21/09/08   11.   Fortuna #3 06:56  |  Esther 21/09/08   12.   Ehud Barak has already prevented peace once 07:49  |  Kris Lazar 21/09/08   13.   Esther # 11 08:59  |  Fortuna Benmayor 21/09/08   14.   peace is alose lose situation for israel livni must go 09:04  |  v.hardman 21/09/08   15.   Livni dose not have a mandate, elections would make sense 11:40  |  David G 21/09/08   16.   Fools rush in 12:02  |  Jeff 21/09/08   17.   Do you Israelis know how foolish you look? 13:27  |  Michael A. Shoemaker 21/09/08   18.   An Election is the Only Salvation for Israeli Democracy Now 13:59  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 21/09/08   19.   Fine 14:01  |  Inyaki 21/09/08   20.   Does democracy mean elections? 14:25  |  Ilan 21/09/08   21.   to akiva P #1 14:46  |  Howard 21/09/08   22.   To those in other countries 15:35  |  Arie 21/09/08   23.   If Kadima takes office again 19:39  |  * BEN JABO 21/09/08   24.   Public Referendum 19:46  |  shtikim ve trickim 21/09/08   25.   Disgusted...(repeat post) 21:49  |  Esther 21/09/08   26.   #12 kris kros and how not to think before posting 23:03  |  v.hardman 21/09/08

Read & React Olmert hands in his formal resignation to President Peres Responses: 78 Report: Palestinian woman dies after shoved to the ground by IDF troops Responses: 167 Hamas accuses Israel of back-pedaling in Shalit negotiations Responses: 113 Ex-IDF chief: Military confrontation with Iran is unavoidable Responses: 116 Yossi Sarid: Economic crisis forces us to rethink 'American dream' Responses: 88 More Headlines 01:38 Livni offers Barak 'full partnership' in new gov't 00:18 Netanyahu asks Shas to back bid for early general elections 00:08 Ex-IDF chief: Israel can't avoid a military confrontation with Iran 22:53 Iranian groups to stage rally in N.Y. titled 'Ahmadinejad, why do you execute children?' 23:39 Diplomats: Syria may have buried evidence of nuclear reactor 22:45 Report: Palestinian woman dies after shoved to the ground by IDF troops 12:49 Calcutta's dwindling Jewish community has one last guardian 23:21 Peres to miss General Assembly reception held by President Bush 08:20 ANALYSIS / Even Assad has a better opinion of Livni than Barak 22:09 Israeli tennis team through to Davis Cup World Group 19:39 Three school children injured after awning collapses 17:07 Now Israel's most beautiful sites can be visited in New York 18:51 Man traumatized by Gaza evacuation gets lenient sentence for stabbing wife 22:55 DJ AM, aka Adam Goldstein, in critical condition after plane crash 16:41 Haniyeh: Hamas is creating a new history Previous Editions Select Day 21 sep 19 sep 18 sep 17 sep 16 sep 15 sep 14 sep 12 sep 11 sep 10 sep 09 sep 08 sep

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