BARAK CALLS ON OLMERT TO STEP ASIDE
By Hillel Fendel -Defense Minister Ehud Barak dramatically called this afternoon for Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert to remove himself from office. Barak heads Labor, the
government coalition's second-largest party. His announcement followed a long
meeting between Olmert and Barak, called by the Prime Minister.
Barak
said that if Olmert does not step down, "we will act to advance the elections."
He did not specify a date, and said, "We are not standing with a stop-watch, but
it should happen very soon."
The Labor Party leader said that Olmert can choose any one of several
options: resignation, vacation, temporary suspension, or the like.
Barak
also called on the members of Olmert's Kadima party to "make a self-reckoning"
and choose its way: "If they choose a replacement, we will consider further
cooperation with Kadima, but if Kadima does not act, and if a government that is
satisfactoryto us is not formed, then we will work to advance the date of the
elections."