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Is This the End of the Road for Ehud Olmert?
June 26, 2008 1:06 PM
By Simon McGregor-Wood, Jerusalem Bureau Chief
The beginning of the end for Olmert?
Probably. That's a word that is used a lot these days to describe the current mess that is Israeli politics. Once events become clearer things here have a habit of changing quickly.
What seems clear is that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is entering the final chapter of his colorful political career. Probably.
After days of back room dealing and arm twisting he has been forced to agree to an internal party election to replace himself as leader of the Kadima Party and therefore also as Prime Minister. His deadline is September 25th.
He cut this bitter sweet deal with Ehud Barak, his own defence minister who also heads the Labor Party and is Olmert's main coalition partner.
Barak has demanded Olmert's resignation in light of the latest corruption allegations.
Olmert is accused of receiving illegal cash donations from an American businessman.
None of it proven in court but it is only the latest in a string of allegations that have dogged Olmert in recent years. For Barak the latest scandal is one too many. Unless Olmert agreed to take steps to replace himself, Barak threatened to quit the government forcing early elections.
No one is Israel it seems, wants an election.
So this is the compromise. No later than September 25th there will be an internal party election and Ehud Olmert will be replaced by a colleague from his own party, probably.
Early favorite to get the job is the current Foreign Minister Tsipi Livni who enjoys a close working relationship with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and heads the Israeli negotiating team in peace talks with the Palestinians.
Livni makes no secret of her desire to become Israel's second female Prime Minister.
But don't write Olmert's political obituary just yet. He is a famous survivor and he may even choose to run in the leadership election himself. The deadline is three months away and in Israeli politics that is a long time.
Some political commentators here expect Olmert to try and hold on, somehow. They think he might try and make progress in the diplomatic arena, perhaps in the fragile and still indirect peace talks with Syria.
His calculation might be that no one would get rid of a Prime Minister engaging in serious peace talks with one of the country's sworn enemies.
Whatever happens to Olmert the existing government coalition looks secure until at least next year, and that means the peace process with the Palestinians looks set to continue, probably.
Read more from Simon McGregor-Wood
June 26, 2008 in Simon McGregor-Wood | Permalink | User Comments (1)
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The end of the road for Olmert, my foot!He'll send in the troops to slaughter a couple of dozen Palestinians and his ratings will shoot through the roof. Worked every time for Sharon and has worked every time for Olmert. Why stop now? The beginning of the end, indeed!
Posted by: tv-1944 | Jun 26, 2008 4:56:59 PM
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