Israeli PM's coalition expansion plan encounters resistance

Roundup: Israeli PM's coalition expansion plan encounters resistance

JERUSALEM, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Wednesday met with Defense Minister Amir Peretz as the latter opposed the current government coalition absorbs the right- wing party Yisrael Beiteinu.

Peretz, the chief of the left-wing Labor Party, was quoted by local daily Ha'aretz as saying that he believed it is possible to strengthen the current coalition in other ways but not by absorption of Yisrael Beiteinu.

He said that his opposition is not related to personal differences with Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman, stressing the world view of the two parties is totally different.

According to another Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, both Peretz's and Olmert's offices refused to say whether the atmosphere of the meeting was positive or not.

On Tuesday, Olmert said that he intended to expand the government's coalition base so as to strengthen the sense of political stability.

"A broadening of the coalition will occur in the near, immediate future, and be based on the existing coalition agreements," said Olmert.

As for the Labor Party, the current major coalition partner of Olmert's Kadima, the prime minister said that he still considers the Labor Party a senior partner, but he dose not rule out the possibility for integrating other elements.

The prime minister's remark came amid the wide spread report during the week that Yisrael Beiteinu was on its way to join the governing coalition.

It was reported that Olmert had met with Leiberman recently, during which the two agreed to work together to create a constitution and make structural changes to the system of government.

Changing Israel's governmental system is one of the five preconditions set by Leiberman on joining Olmert's coalition government.

The agreement reached between Olmert and Lieberman is viewed as the first confidence-building measure between the two sides.

Figures close to Olmert said on last Saturday that Leiberman is an attractive coalition partner.

Senior Kadima officials suggested that Olmert wants to have a few coalition options firmly in hand before the Knesset ( parliament)winter session begins partly to fill the political vacuum left by the removal of the West Bank pullout from his agenda and to divert public attention from the controversy over the war in Lebanon.

On the other hand, Leiberman said on last Sunday that if he does decide to take his right-wing party into the government, negotiations over conditions would take less than two hours.

He said that his and Olmert's positions have moved closer since the prime minister abandoned his plan for unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank and agreed to support his plan of changing the governmental system.

Yisrael Beiteinu won 11 seats in the March 28 elections, while Labor is holding 19.

Israel's Vice Premier and senior Kadima member Shimon Peres predicted that Yisrael Beiteinu will not join the government, because such a move would cause a deficit of eight parliament seats in the coalition.

Meanwhile, Olmert Wednesday also met with Silvan Shalom, lawmaker from the right-wing Likud, a major opposition party in the parliament.

During the meeting, the two discussed the suggestion to change the system of government.

But it is unclear whether the meeting had anything to do with the prime minister's recent statements regarding his desire to expand the coalition.

Source: Xinhua