Friday, May 30, 2008

Olmert's 'graceful exit' plan

From THE JERUSALEM POST May. 29, 2008, by GIL HOFFMAN and YAAKOV LAPPIN:

Recognizing that his political downfall is all but unavoidable, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is considering accepting a proposal by senior Kadima ministers and MKs that is intended to allow the party to prepare for early elections while he leaves the Prime Minister's Office in a dignified manner....

According to the proposal, the prime minister would give the authorization necessary to initiate a Kadima primary that would elect his successor.

If Olmert is not charged in the Talansky affair, he would continue to serve as party leader and prime minister until the next general election, and the primary winner would become his heir apparent. If he is indicted and keeps his promise to step down, the winner could either form a new government or lead the party in elections that appear increasingly likely to take place by the end of the year.

...Kadima MK Tzahi Hanegbi, who heads the party's steering committee, announced that he would summon representatives of the four candidates to replace Olmert to decide on a mechanism for the primary.....candidates who spoke to Kadima MKs on Thursday said a September race was likely....

Jenna Stark contributed to this report.

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