Pensioners Party officially splits

The Pensioners Party officially split yesterday when Knesset members Elhanan Glazer and Sara Marom Shalev followed in Moshe Sharoni's footsteps to establish a faction to be known as Justice for Pensioners. The new faction will represent the political party of billionaire Arcadi Gaydamak.

The departure leaves Ehud Olmert's governing coalition with just 64 MKs out of 120 seats.

Glazer was supposed to be given a deputy ministership in return for remaining in the Pensioners Party, but the latest police investigation against Olmert apparently caused him to have a change of heart.

According to people who spoke with Glazer, he was afraid that Olmert would no longer be able to make good on his promise, and decided to join the breakaway faction in return for a promise of a viable spot on Gaydamak's list for the next Knesset elections.

The back-and-forth saga involving the Pensioners Party began around a month ago. Today the three MKs are expected to apply in writing to the Knesset House Committee to split from the original faction, and to hold a press conference with Gaydamak this evening.

Gaydamak will serve as chair of the Justice for Pensioners Party, and plans to attend the faction's meetings at the Knesset.

MK Sharoni, who will serve as faction whip, announced yesterday that the new faction is not part of the coalition, and that "if Olmert wants us, let him begin negotiations."

The new faction will seek a ministership in return for joining the coalition.

The Pensioners faction has only four MKs now, jeopardizing its position in the government and Knesset.