PM's aides dismiss Peretz threats to bring down gov't

Newly 0elected Labor Party chairman, Amir Peretz, said yesterday he will not wait until Thursday's scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to take action in order to bring down the government. In addition to meeting with fellow Labor MKs, Peretz will begin scheduling meetings with opposition leaders this week.

Sharon's aides dismissed Peretz's threats last night, and stressed that the meeting will not be brought forward. They said Sharon will consult with Likud figures before deciding on early elections.

"A little humility wouldn't hurt," Sharon's aides said in reference to Peretz's statements. "It's not good to start off with threats. We expected more propriety from him."

Sharon consulted his aides Thursday night, and intends to decide within two weeks whether to form a new party or stay in the Likud. He will commission polls to determine his popularity vis-a-vis Benjamin Netanyahu within the Likud as well as Peretz.

"There's a sense that people in the Likud understand they must unite against Peretz. But we have to wait a few more days to see whether the penny has dropped yet for Likud members, and they realize that the Likud with Bibi [Netanyahu] against Peretz will become a small party," Sharon's supporters said.

MKs Zevulum Orlev (National Religious Party) and Yitzhak Levy (National Union) intend to submit a bill for preliminary reading Wednesday to disperse the Knesset and schedule new elections. Levy called on Sharon and Peretz to reach an agreement on a date for new elections to end the country's partisan and governmental anarchy.

Peretz is expected to begin a series of meetings at party headquarters in Tel Aviv this morning, beginning with National Infrastructures Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer. By the end of the week, he hopes to have met with every Labor MK to prepare the way for the party's exit from the coalition by early next month.

Peretz is seeking to establish his leadership of the party as quickly as possible, to unite his fellow MKs, and to ease tensions and suspicions surrounding him. His aides said he also intends to reach out to his erstwhile rival, former prime minister Ehud Barak, although "there's no way Barak will have responsibility for social or economic issues."

Meretz-Yahad chair Yossi Beilin called on Labor to accept Peretz's demand to leave the government immediately and to admit the grave error it made in cooperating with Sharon's dangerous diplomatic and economic policies in the past five years.

Vice Premier Shimon Peres said Friday he has yet to decide on his future, and that he would take a few days "to think" about how he could best contribute.

"I worked quite hard. I hold no bitterness in my heart," Peres said. "I'm not a bitter man." Peres' comments came hours before his meeting with Peretz in the presence of journalists who attested to the tense atmosphere.

Peres waited a full 24 hours after the official announcement of Peretz's victory in Wednesday's party primary before congratulating his successor.

Peretz reiterated that he needs the support of Peres. "We'll do anything. We'll hold mass demonstrations in front of his home," Peretz said. Many Labor members called Peres over the weekend to urge him to stay in the party and lead it together with Peretz.

During the party meeting at Labor headquarters Friday morning, Peretz called on MKs to help him realize his plans as party chair. "Next year there will be a year of change," Peretz said. "If I fail, I will be called to account in any event."

Peres, ministers Dalia Itzik and Shalom Simhon, and MKs Colette Avital and Michael Melchior were absent from the meeting. Barak was not invited, and did not attend.