PM fears Labor about to bolt

[Eugene]

Source: Haaretz

PM fears Labor about to bolt
By Mazal Mualem

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Kadima leaders fear the public outcry
over the Winograd report could force Labor to quit the government even
before its primaries at the end of the month. Moves at Labor to abandon
Olmert are expanding.

Olmert's aides said yesterday that the coalition's test will be its ability
to survive until June, when Labor's second round of primaries is due.

Labor secretary general Eitan Cabel, who resigned from the cabinet this
week, said he would convene the party's central committee on May 13
to vote on quitting the government.

The central committee will be asked to vote on proposals ruling out a
partnership in an Olmert-headed coalition, but not in a government
headed by another Kadima member.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/855673.html

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Source: Reuters

Olmert's coalition under threat from key partner

By Ari Rabinovitch
Fri May 4, 5:28 AM ET

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government came
under renewed threat on Friday when members of the left-leaning Labour party
threatened to withdraw from the coalition following a scathing Lebanon war
inquiry.

More than 100,000 Israelis took to the streets on Thursday night demanding
that Olmert step down but he has so far resisted the pressure after a
government-appointed commission blamed him for serious failings during last
year's 34-day war.

Labour, in the midst of its own power struggle, is the largest partner in
Olmert's coalition government and its withdrawal could force new elections.
Israel's next general election is not due until 2010.

The head of Labour, Defence Minister Amir Peretz, is considering stepping
down from his post in response to the Lebanon war report. Increasingly
unpopular within his own party, he could be forced out when Labour holds
internal elections on May 28.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070504/wl_nm/israel_olmert_dc