Olmert expected to step down on Sunday

[Snoshi]

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is expected to step down from office on Sunday. He will make the announcement at the weekly cabinet meeting and then formally tender his resignation to President Shimon Peres.

The exact date of Olmert's meeting with the president has yet to be set, and may only take place after Peres returns from New York, where he is scheduled to deliver an address at the UN General Assembly.
The Kadima primary elections kicked off in late July after Olmert announced his decision to step down amidst a tidal of corruption allegations and police inquiries.

"I'm just a spectator," Olmert said then of the primary race. "We have some excellent candidates, and I promise whoever is elected my full cooperation." He stressed that the "transfer of power will take place in a responsible and statesmanlike fashion – as I have tried to conduct myself in office."

Olmert called the winner of the Kadima primary elections and his successor, Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni late Tuesday night to congratulate her on her win. The two discussed a meeting in the near future and the prime minister pledged to cooperate fully with Livni.

Olmert's resignation will entail the resignation of the government in its entirety. The responsibility for the next move will be on President Peres. After holding consultations with representatives from the
various political factions in the Knesset, Peres will be required to task one of the MKs with establishing a new government.

Most chances are that individual will be Livni, as chairman-elect parliament's largest political party.

In any event, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who is also chairman of the Labor party and Olmert's key coalition ally, cannot be called upon to form a government because he is not an elected member of the Knesset.

The MK tasked with the mission will have 28 days to cobble together a stable government. The president can extend the allotted time by an additional 14 days. If his first choice is unable to deliver a government in time, Peres will then choose another MK, who will also have 28 days.

If the second MK tasked with the job cannot form a government and the Knesset Speaker believes no majority can be reached – the elections will be pushed up and held within 90 days.

If Livni, as party leader can form a coalition, Israel could have a new government in October. If not, an election campaign could take several months. Olmert would remain in office until a new premier is chosen, heading a caretaker government even after he submits his resignation to Peres. The process could extend into 2009.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3598402,00.html

[Mr.Flint]

Who wants to bet that Livni will sell out to Shas? ;)

[nu4idf]

Who wants to bet that Livni will sell out to Shas? ;)

Who think Livni doesn't know what she's doing and hopefully will never be prime minister

[rwak9]

And who else predicts that there will be some further delay in this slime oozing out the door?

[Snoshi]

Israel Radio says Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has told his Cabinet that he will resign.

The report did not say when Olmert would submit his official letter of
resignation to President Shimon Peres, but he is expected to meet with him later Sunday.

The two - who have already spoken several times about the resignation - will consult regarding Olmert's final date in office. However, the final decision may be delayed by Peres' departure on Monday in order to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he is scheduled to stay for a week and to deliver a speech to world leaders.

At the beginning of the meeting, Olmert gave his blessing to new Kadima chief Tzipi Livni, and vowed to "support with all of my strength" in her forming of a coalition government.

Peres has said that, should it be necessary, he will postpone his trip to New York to meet with various Knesset party leaders and discuss the formation of a new government.

Olmert spokesman Mark Regev said he could not confirm the report that the prime minister would submit his official letter of resignation to Peres immediately after the weekly cabinet meeting. The president's office also said it could not confirm that Olmert would officially resign on Sunday.

Last week, Regev told The Associated Press that Olmert would notify the Cabinet on Sunday that he was stepping down. But no precise date for his official resignation was disclosed.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who was elected last week to succeed Olmert as head of the governing Kadima Party, was busy over the weekend lobbying potential partners to join a new coalition under her leadership.

Olmert's associates said Saturday that he intends to serve as head of a caretaker government until an alternative government is formed or until general elections take place.

Divisions emerged within Kadima on Friday regarding when the premier should step down. Vice Premier Haim Ramon said that Livni should ask Olmert to postpone his resignation until she has succeeded in forging a new government.

Livni on Friday called on Olmert to keep his promise to leave office in the aftermath of Wednesday's Kadima primary, saying, "We have a country to run."

Olmert is stepping down amid a number of corruption allegations, after a tenure troubled by Israel's inconclusive 2006 war against Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas and months of peace talks with the Palestinians that have yielded no breakthroughs.

Even though Livni is now head of Kadima, she does not automatically become prime minister. Peres would have to first appoint her to try to put together a governing coalition - something he is expected to do after Olmert formally resigns. After assigned that task, Livni would have six weeks to form a new government. Should she fail, new elections would be called for early 2009, a year and a half ahead of schedule.

Over the weekend, Livni met with leaders of two small factions outside the coalition, hoping to shore up any government she could put together. Any accords that might emerge from talks with the Palestinians and recently renewed, indirect negotiations with Syria would benefit from broad-based parliamentary backing. The current government controls 67 of parliament's 120 seats.

Neither Kadima nor its coalition partners appear eager for a new election, fearing they would be ousted from power. But the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party, which could be key to building a new coalition, has already said it would not join a government willing to share Jerusalem with the Palestinians.

As lead peace negotiator, Livni is committed to discussing all the outstanding issues between Israel and the Palestinians. The fate of Jerusalem, whose eastern sector the Palestinians claim for a future state, is at the core of the conflict.
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1023052.html

[Player]

This is the first and the last time he's doing something good for the country.

Nevertheless Livni is not any better.

[NimDod]

Who wants to bet that Livni will sell out to Shas? ;)

was there anyone who didnt sell out to Shas or wont do so in the future?



This is the first and the last time he's doing something good for the country.


What makes you think this is the last time he does something good?
I bet that in less than a year he'll leave to the US like his kids did.

[Snoshi]

woot

Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert arrived at the President's residence in Jerusalem Sunday evening to formally submit his resignation to President Shimon Peres after almost 33 months in office.

Olmert earlier announced his decision to step down at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, held in Jerusalem.

Peres and Olmert - who have already spoken several times about the resignation - were expected to formulate a timetable for Olmert's gradual leaving of office.
The final decision may be delayed, however, by Peres' departure Monday for New York, where he will attend the United Nations General Assembly. The president is scheduled to remain in New York for a week, during which time he will deliver a speech to world leaders.

Olmert told the cabinet Sunday morning that he gave his blessing to his successor as Kadima leader, Tzipi Livni, and vowed to "support with all of my strength" her efforts to form a coalition government.

Peres has said that, should it be necessary, he would postpone his trip to New York to meet with various Knesset party leaders and discuss the formation of a new government.

Olmert spokesman Mark Regev said he could not confirm the report that the prime minister would submit his official letter of resignation to Peres on Sunday. The president's office also said it could not confirm that Olmert would officially resign on Sunday.

Last week, Regev told The Associated Press that Olmert would notify the cabinet on Sunday that he was stepping down.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who was elected last week to succeed Olmert as head of the governing Kadima Party, was busy over the weekend lobbying potential partners to join a new coalition under her leadership.

Olmert's associates said Saturday that he intends to serve as head of a caretaker government until an alternative government is formed or until general elections take place.

Divisions emerged within Kadima on Friday regarding when the premier should step down. Vice Premier Haim Ramon said that Livni should ask Olmert to postpone his resignation until she has succeeded in forging a new government.

Livni on Friday called on Olmert to keep his promise to leave office in the aftermath of Wednesday's Kadima primary, saying, "We have a country to run."

Olmert is stepping down amid a number of corruption allegations, after a tenure troubled by Israel's inconclusive 2006 war against Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas and months of peace talks with the Palestinians that have yielded no breakthroughs.

Even though Livni is now head of Kadima, she does not automatically become prime minister. Peres would have to first appoint her to try to put together a governing coalition - something he is expected to do after Olmert formally resigns. After assigned that task, Livni would have six weeks to form a new government. Should she fail, new elections would be called for early 2009, a year and a half ahead of schedule.

Over the weekend, Livni met with leaders of two small factions outside the coalition, hoping to shore up any government she could put together. Any accords that might emerge from talks with the Palestinians and recently renewed, indirect negotiations with Syria would benefit from broad-based parliamentary backing. The current government controls 67 of parliament's 120 seats.

Neither Kadima nor its coalition partners appear eager for a new election, fearing they would be ousted from power. But the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party, which could be key to building a new coalition, has already said it would not join a government willing to share Jerusalem with the Palestinians.

As lead peace negotiator, Livni is committed to discussing all the outstanding issues between Israel and the Palestinians. The fate of Jerusalem, whose eastern sector the Palestinians claim for a future state, is at the core of the conflict.
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1023052.html