|
Olmert could lose job over war
14/03/2007 14:19 - (SA)
Jerusalem - Feverish speculation mounted in Israel on Wednesday that a report into the failures of last year's Lebanon war could lead to the ouster of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and force snap elections.
The high-level commission appointed by Olmert to deflect public anger over the war said on Tuesday that its interim report will assess his personal responsibility, and that of defence minister Amir Peretz and the army chief who has already resigned.
Its partial findings may not be due out until April and its conclusions yet to be written, but newspapers claim Olmert's Kadima party was already preparing for his possible resignation as opposition leaders united to demand snap polls.
Olmert, whose coalition government has been in power less than a year, has been significantly weakened by the conflict with Shi'ite militia Hezbollah that failed to secure its two main war aims, and spiralling corruption allegations.
The commission, which lacks the independence of a full state inquiry whose chairperson would have been appointed by the Supreme Court rather than the retired judge hand picked by Olmert, also lacks the power to enforce recommendations.
'Change the government'
But members of the main opposition Likud party seized on speculation that Olmert would be castigated by the commission to float the idea of forming a new coalition and forcing him out of power without calling nationwide polls.
Gideon Saar, who heads Likud's group in parliament, said: "When the government isn't good, it needs to be changed. Along with the rest of the Israeli public, we think elections need to be organised.
"Unfortunately, most of the Knesset does not support early elections if there is a chance of building a new government around Likud in this Knesset, that it clearly what we will do."
Former prime minister and Likud chairperson Benjamin Netanyahu said recently he had been in contact with Kadima MPs who were thinking about returning to Likud, just over a year after they left the veteran right-wing party to form Kadima.
Although Olmert enjoys the support of 78 MPs, Netanyahu would need backing from at least 61 MPs in the 120-member parliament to form a government amid stepped up calls from across the political spectrum for Olmert to go.
"He should vacate the most important post in the country. The state of Israel cannot afford to have a paralysed prime minister," the chairperson of the centre-left Meretz party, Yossi Beilin, told Yediot Aharonot.
Forced resignation
About 70 politicians and military officials have testified before the commission headed by Eliyahu Winograd since it was set up in September.
A separate military probe this year forced army chief Dan Halutz to resign.
But ministerial aides of Olmert were adamant that the business of government must go on as usual as newspaper editorials sounded a note of caution.
- AFP
|
News
