Peres: Presidency is my last chance to serve the nation

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, left, gestures towards Vice Premier Shimon Peres, right, at a meeting of the Kadima party at the Knesset,

Wednesday.

 

Vice Premier Shimon Peres officially announced his candidacy for president on Wednesday morning at a special meeting of the Kadima faction in the Knesset.

Both Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Acting President heaped praise on Peres, speaking of his long years of dedicated public service.

Itzik called him the "best" candidate. Olmert promised that in the time leading up to the election on June 13, the "entire Kadima faction" would do everything possible to make sure that Israel received the president it deserved.

"We will work tirelessly," he vowed.

Analysis: Setting up presidential pawns

Peres said that he decided to run after receiving many requests to do so. He acknowledged that while the presidency is largely a ceremonial office, Israel was badly in need of a figure behind which it could unite.

He said that as someone who had been active in the Zionist cause since the 40s, he could say that Israel's position today was "strong." Peres said that serving as president would likely be his last chance to serve the nation.

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.

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.

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Magal
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