Sharon to leave Likud, form new party

[nicky g]

Sharon calls for early elections

Interesting shake-up of the Israeli political scene. I'm curious to see if any of the Labour right eg Peres and co follow him into this new party. I was at a talk recently where the speaker argued that Sharon was part of the same Ben Gurionist tradition as Peres, that Ben Gurion might have become a founder member of Likud if he had have been alive given his steady rightward drift, and that a Peres/Sharon party was a likely eventuality at some point.

In a bold political gamble, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Monday asked Israel's president to dissolve parliament, pushing for a March election after deciding to leave his hardline Likud Party and to form a new centrist political movement.

Sharon's decision to leave Likud, the party he helped found in 1973, redraws Israel's political map, formalizes his transformation from hardliner to moderate and increases chances of progress in peacemaking with the Palestinians. Sharon felt Likud hardliners, who had tried to block this summer's Gaza pullout, were imposing too many constraints on him and would prevent future peace moves.

On Monday morning, Sharon arrived at President Moshe Katsav's house to ask for the dissolution of parliament, a step that would move up the date of the vote to the beginning of March. Katsav said he would weigh the request and decided in ''less than days,'' after consulting with leaders of other parties.

Katsav said Sharon told him he could no longer run the government because he does not have a majority in parliament. ''Of course, I think we need to dissolve the Knesset and hold elections as soon as possible,'' Katsav said. If Katsav approves the dissolution of parliament, a new election would have to be held within 90 days.

Sharon's decision to leave Likud, to be formally announced later Monday, sent shock waves through Israeli politics, and set the stage for a dramatic election campaign. It would pit a smaller, hardline Likud, possibly under former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, against Sharon and the new Labor Party leader, former union boss Amir Peretz. Sharon and Netanyahu are bitter political rivals.

One poll Monday said an alliance of Sharon's new party with the moderate Labor and leftist parties would command 74 seats in the 120-member parliament.

It was seen as unlikely Sharon would seek a coalition with Likud after the election, since hardliners in the party spent months trying to halt the Gaza pullout, and came close at times to bringing down his government.

Sharon was to announce at a news conference later Monday that he is leaving Likud, said his top adviser, Asaf Shariv. Sharon was also expected to convene a meeting of members of the new party Monday.

Among those expected to follow Sharon out of Likud are Vice Premier Ehud Olmert and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni. Former Shin Bet chief Avi Dichter, two top academics and even ousted Labor leader Shimon Peres were mentioned as possibilities.

Those remaining in Likud said they would try to block Sharon's moves. Gideon Saar, head of the Likud faction in parliament, said he would try to form a coalition of 61 legislators who oppose early elections. Under the law, Katsav has to consult with party leaders to see if any among them can form a new coalition.

''The prime minister and his people are exerting great pressure on Likud legislators to defect from the Likud,'' Saar told Israel Army Radio. ''I call on Likud members ... don't give your hand to bringing down the Likud and to a process whose only purpose is a very deep withdrawal from the West Bank.''

Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra said the refusal of the Likud rebels to support Sharon's future peace moves forced the prime minister to leave his political home.

''I think that it is not an easy day. I had hoped that this wouldn't have to happen, that we would all remain together,'' Ezra told Israel Radio. ''I had hoped ... that the members would say we are all falling into line, but that didn't happen and Ariel Sharon decided what he decided and I am going with him.''

Removed from the constraints of Likud, Sharon would be free to pursue the more moderate line he has espoused in recent years — part of a dramatic turnaround from a fervent supporter of Jewish settlements to the first Israeli leader to dismantle West Bank and Gaza communities.

A March vote would come just a few weeks after Palestinians hold a parliament election in which the Islamic militant Hamas is competing for the first time. Sharon has said he would not hold talks with a Palestinian government that includes Hamas members.

Sharon had initially said the general election would be held in November as scheduled, but after Peretz took over control of Labor, an early poll became inevitable. Peretz insisted on pulling Labor out of Sharon's coalition, depriving the prime minister of a parliamentary majority. Late Sunday, Labor voted to bolt the government.

Sharon's departure turns Likud into a hard-line party that opinion polls show will be the main loser in an election. ''I regret Sharon's decision to leave and would have preferred that he continue his struggle within Likud,'' said Likud lawmaker Ehud Yatom, a leader of the internal rebellion against Sharon.