| Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is expected to meet with prospective members of his new "National Responsibility" party in his Jerusalem office at noon Monday. The prime minister will make an official announcement at 7 P.M. Monday on his decision to leave the Likud and set up a new party.
Sharon met Monday morning with President Moshe Katsav, to ask him to dissolve the Knesset and call early elections. The elections are likely to be held in March.
Dissolving the Knesset serves Sharon's interest since it would prevent the Likud from putting off elections until a later date, by which time the new party's novelty would likely wear off.
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 | | | Sharon's new party is expected to attract 12 to 14 Likud MKs. Among those planning to join the premier are Finance Minister Ehud Olmert, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, and Ministers Avraham Hirschon, Meir Sheetrit and Gideon Ezra.
MKs Roni Bar-On, Eli Aflalo, Ruhama Avraham, Inbal Gavrieli and Majali Wahabi were also reported to be planning to support Sharon.
Sharon spoke to Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz on Monday morning and asked him to show "national responsibility," by joining his new party. Sharon told Mofaz that should he join, he would remain defense minister.
Mofaz, who Sunday announced he would contend the Likud chairmanship should Sharon choose to quit the party, has yet to give his answer.
A Sharon associate said that when the premier quits the Likud, Sharon's party could become the largest in the Knesset and predicted that not only Likud MKs would join it.
Numerous non-Likud personalities were also reportedly planning to stand with the prime minister, including former Shin Bet chief Avi Dichter, Ben Gurion University President Avishai Braverman, Professor Uriel Reichman and former Likud minister Dan Meridor, who has expressed a desire to return to politics.
Vice Premier Shimon Peres, who engaged Sunday in long talks with Sharon regarding future cooperation, will not leave the Labor Party to join Sharon's new party, Peres' aides said Monday.
Likud officials said the new party would be a "true centrist party, from every perspective: political, economic and social."
Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, who is expected to hand in his letter of resignation Monday along with the other Labor cabinet members, said Sharon's decision presented Labor with "an historic opportunity to contend with not just Likud, but with another party," said
"We need to consider now who will bring the central economic and social salvation - [Benjamin] Netanyahu, Sharon or Labor," he added.
In anticipation of Sharon's announced resignation from the Likud, it is likely that he won't arrive at the Likud faction meeting convening Monday afternoon. |
