The Knesset House Committee is expected to approve Thursday President Moshe Katsav's request to "temporarily step down" for three months, following the decision of Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to indict him on rape charges.

Committee chairman Ruhama Avraham opened the debate Thursday morning.

A Haaretz informal poll of the 25 Knesset House Committee members on Wednesday showed that at least 13 will support the President's request.

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At the same time, a total of 30 MKs from different factions have requested that the House Committee consider a motion to impeach Katsav.

Among those on the committee openly supporting the president's request for a temporary suspension are three Shas MKs, the three Kadima MKs, the representative of the Arab Democratic Party, MK Nadia Hilu of Labor, the United Torah Judaism MK, the two MKs of Yisrael Beiteinu and the two MKs of the Pensioners Party.

Some MKs said that they had decided to support the president's request because of his emotional appearance last night in a televised press conference.

If the committee does authorize Katsav's request, he will begin a three-month leave, during which time Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik will fill in for him.

Itzik does not intend to move into the Presidential Residence, and will carry out her function from her Knesset offices. She does, however, intend to use the official residence for ceremonies that are normally part of the functions of the president.

In a letter addressed to the Knesset speaker, Katsav wrote that "the attorney general announced on Wednesday that he intends to bring me to criminal trial unless he is convinced otherwise in a hearing that will be held at a future date. Under these circumstances, I would like to inform the Knesset House Committee that I am temporarily unable to carry out my duties, and I ask that the committee approve this request."

The president has not specified the length of time for which he is requesting leave.

Haaretz also learned Wednesday that one of Katsav's two lead attorneys, either David Libai or Zion Amir, will participate in the House Committee's meeting Thursday in an effort to convince its members to authorize the president's request for temporary leave.

Immediately following the meeting of the Knesset House Committee on the president's request, another will begin on whether to impeach him or not. For an impeachment to be approved by the committee, it would need the support of 19 of its 25 members.

A total of 30 MKs from different factions have requested this second meeting. Only MKs of the Haredi parties have not supported the motion for the president's impeachment.

The Basic Law on the President of the State stipulates that at least 20 MKs must file a request to discuss impeachment with the Knesset House Committee. The committee must allow a representative of the president to attend the impeachment deliberations.

Knesset House Committee chair MK Ruhama Avraham said yesterday that she has asked the President's office to send a representative but has yet to receive a response.

Likud MK Michael Eitan expressed his strong opposition to the fact that MKs were busy collecting signatures calling for the impeachment of the president.

Olmert: President cannot remain in his seat
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told delegates to the Herzliya Conference on Wednesday that he had no doubt that President Moshe Katsav could not continue to serve in his position, following Attorney General Menachem Mazuz's decision to indict him on a string of charges including rape.

"In these circumstances there is no doubt in my heart that the president cannot continue to fulfill his role and must leave the President's Residence," Olmert said. "This is a sad day for the State of Israel."

Olmert, who spoke shortly after Katsav addressed the media at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, refrained from calling on the president to resign.

Meanwhile, Public Security Minister Avi Dichter called on the president to apologize to the police for accusing them during his press conference of joining media efforts to slur his name.

"The president has villified the 28,000 officers who work day and night for the sake of security," he said.

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Dichter earlier in the day joined the growing calls for Katsav to resign immediately.

"I am convinced that resigning is the appropriate thing [for Katsav] to do at this time," said Livni.

"From a legal standpoint, Moshe Katsav the individual is indeed presumed innocent," Livni added. "However, in this case, given the nature of the accusations, their severity and the timing of the decision, it is more appropriate for him to conduct his fight [to prove] his innocence from outside of the President's Residence."

"That's enough, Mr. Moshe Katsav - don't hide behind incapacitation," said Dichter in a statement, which called on "Katsav to resign immediately from his position as president."

According to Dichter, the attorney general's decision has both legal and public significance. "The public significance obligates the president to resign and conduct his struggle without the presidential title, not even as an incapacitated president," said Dichter. "The presidency must not be stained, not even for a few months."

The blame Katsav placed on the media, the attorney general and the police awakened fierce reactions in the Knesset.

After Katsav speech, MKs renew calls for resignation
The chairman of the Knesset Law, Constitution and Justice Committee, MK Menachem Ben-Sasson (Kadima), said following Katsav's speech on Wednesday that, "although a man should not be judged at his darkest hours, we cannot ignore the tongue-lashing the president had given to the legal authorities. He used the public stage to taunt the public messengers who cannot respond."

Mk Ran Cohen (Meretz) said that during his speech, the president demonstrated that the best method of defense is attack, and on the way trampled on the foundations of democracy, from the media to the attorney general.

"Every additional minute Katsav sits in his seat is a disgrace," said Cohen.

Meretz chairman Yossi Beilin said, "Katsav horrifying performance proves that this man cannot serve even one more day, and must resign immediately."

Earlier Wednesday, Hadash and Ra'am-Ta'al factions announced that they would support removing the president from office should he fail to resign immediately.

In addition, a majority of Labor MKs had announced they would support removing the president from office should he fail to suspend himself.

Likud faction whip Gideon Sa'ar said he is of the opinion that, given the current circumstances, the president should resign.

Olmert held an urgent meeting Wednesday for Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik (Kadima), who will fill in for Katsav should he suspend himself. Itzik intends to carry out her duties from the Knesset, and will go to the President's Residence solely for ceremonies.


More on the case against Katsav
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