The Labor Central Committee on Sunday approved MK Ophir Pines-Paz's proposal to cancel the party primaries scheduled to be held prior to the next Knesset elections.

The proposal was transferred to the party's constitutional committee for further deliberation. If approved, it would mean that Ehud Barak would be the party's candidate for prime minister in the next elections.

Addressing the committee, Barak said he intends to keep his promise to lead the party out of the government should Prime Minister Ehud Olmert fail to resign by the release of the Winograd Committee's full report on the Second Lebanon War.

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Barak also announced his decision to appoint MK Matan Vilnai as deputy defense minister, instead of Ephraim Sneh. The defense minister added that Israel must negotiate a peace agreement, but only from a position of strength in which Israel's enemies understand that it cannot be destroyed.

Barak promised to take steps in order to reduce social gaps and to place education at the top of the government's priorities. According to Barak, Labor will exert maximum effort to prevent cuts in the Education Ministry's budget.

Barak also promised that Labor would seek to base the pensioners' stipend on the national average wage.

Addressing the plea agreement reached with former president Moshe Katsav on sex crimes allegations, Barak said that national security also means security for women, including in the workplace.