Peres: Presidency last chance to serve win an election
The inevitable happened today.Vice Premier Shimon Peres threw his hat into the ring as the
Nevertheless, the effort to elect Peres may be doomed from the outset, as senior Kadima sources have already expressed doubt over the likelihood of a Peres victory.I saw an analysis that claimed that Peres needs to get all of Shas' votes plus 90% of
Two Kadima officials, former coalition chairman MK Avigdor Yitzhaki and ex-justice minister Haim Ramon, have said that Peres might not be able to garner enough support ahead of the June 13 election.
"The two of them are able to express their doubts openly. There are many in the party who don't think that Peres is really the right choice," said one Kadima MK.
"A lot of MKs might wait and feel out their options over the next week."
MK Colette Avital (Labor) and MK Reuven Rivlin (Likud) began their official campaigns nearly a month ago.
Rivlin's camp said that in addition to the Likud, Israel Beiteinu, and NU-NRP parties, he also enjoyed the support of an unnamed Gil Pensioners lawmaker, MK Shelly Yacimovich (Labor) and MK Zeev Elkin (Kadima.)
Avital, meanwhile, has secured the support of the Labor and Meretz parties, MK Marina Solodkin (Kadima,) and several Arab MKs. An aide close to Avital added that at least five Kadima MKs who publicly support Peres are planning on voting for Avital in the secret ballot.
Solodkin has hinted that as much as a third of the Kadima MKs could swing over to support Avital.
"She will surprise people. She has much more support in Kadima than people think," said Solodkin.
The presidential elections are the only Knesset vote that are conducted via secret ballot.
In the last election in July 2000, several Shas MKs who promised to vote for Peres presumably did not do so, and the Likud's Moshe Katsav became the first president not nominated by the Labor Party in a 63-57 vote.
MK Yoel Hasson (Kadima), who has actively campaigned for Peres, tried to pass a bill several months ago that would change the presidential elections to an open vote. Hasson said that he was pushing the bill to prevent the type of "double-crossing" that happened in the last election. The "Peres Bill" failed in its second reading.
In this election, it appeared that Peres's only chance for victory rested again with Shas and its 12 seats. While Shas MKs said that their party was "favorably considering" backing Peres, no decision has yet been made.
"The election is still several weeks away and there are a lot of factors to consider," said one Shas MK.
The picture at the top of this post is of me with the next President of the State of Israel (God willing). It was taken in Rivlin's office when he was Speaker of the Knesset. Unlike 99% of the politicians in this country, Ruby Rivlin is honest and a decent human being. He deserves to be President much more than Peres or Colette Avital (who was consul general in New York for many years and used to get into a fight every year with the post-parade concert organizers because she's a leftist). (Thanks to David in Houston, Texas for introducing me to Rivlin and taking the picture).
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:42 PM
8 Comments:
I was wondering all the way through the post who you were standing with-couldn't be Peres
This comment has been removed by the author.
Carl,
Even the thought of Peres running gives me the creeps.
It does not look like Olmert will stand down any time soon, does it?
Gershon,
The picture actually is from January 2004.
NY Nana,
No, it doesn't. But look at the 'bright side': Peres running for President means that he has given up on being an 'emergency replacement' for Olmert.
Carl:
'But look at the 'bright side': Peres running for President means that he has given up on being an 'emergency replacement' for Olmert.'
Yes, that certainly is the bright side. And if he hopefully loses? It should spell the end to his trouble making in Israeli politics.
I doubt that he will keep quiet or just retire gracefully though. If only he, Olmert, Livni and a choice group of others would put Israel before themselves.
NY Nana,
When Peres lost to Katzav in 2000, we all thought it would be enough to put him out to pasture. It wasn't. Don't hold your breath.
Peres will be a loose cannon as always wherever he is put.
Carl,
Re Peres? I am not holding my breath, just my nose.
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