PM dispels speculation he'll try to linger in office; primary winner may have to build coalition quickly.
By SHELLY PAZ, APOlmert Abbas discuss 224.88(photo credit: GPO)
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday reiterated his pledge to step down immediately after Kadima chooses a successor next week, dispelling speculation he will try to linger in office.
With the primary set for Wednesday, the announcement means that the new Kadima leader could find him or herself racing to form a new government in as little as a week.
Olmert, who is battling corruption investigations, announced in July that he would resign after Kadima chose a new leader. But some felt he was vague about the timing of his exit, raising speculation that he might delay it.
Addressing a Kadima Party meeting at Kfar Hamaccabiah in Ramat Gan on Thursday night, the prime minister said he did not intend to delay his resignation.
"As I have said before, immediately after the selection of a new chairman of Kadima, I plan to resign and recommend to the president to pick the new head of the party to form a government," he said.
Olmert, however, must remain premier while his successor tries to form a new coalition, a process that could take weeks. If the new Kadima leader fails, and no other party leader is deemed capable of forming a government, it would force a general election a year and a half ahead of schedule.
Coalition negotiations could last until next spring, and Olmert would remain in office as head of a transitional government until then.
If none of the four contenders receives more than 40 percent of the vote in next week's primary, a run-off election between the two top vote-getters will be held the following week.
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz are the front-runners, with Public Security Minister Avi Dichter and Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit lagging in the polls.
Some surveys give Livni a double-digit lead over Mofaz. But because the number of Kadima members is relatively small, the results could shift in Mofaz's favor if his campaign musters a large supporter turnout.
Opponents have already complained that the lame-duck Olmert has no authority to negotiate sensitive diplomatic issues with the Palestinians or the Syrians, particularly given the circumstances surrounding his departure.
"There are no restrictions legally, but political and public pressure can prevent the government from functioning. Olmert knows this very well," said Avraham Diskin, a political scientist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
For months, police have been investigating a string of corruption cases involving Olmert. In one, he is suspected of improperly accepting cash from New York financier Morris Talansky. In another, he is suspected of double-billing nonprofit groups for trips abroad, using the excess funds to finance trips for relatives.
All the cases date back to before Olmert became prime minister in 2006. He says he is innocent.
Police investigators on Sunday formally recommended he be indicted on bribery, breach of trust and money-laundering charges.
MK Amira Dotan (Kadima) said she expected the party to rally behind its next leader, and that whoever won the primary would have no choice but to continue with the peace talks.
Israel's place in the world, and its relations with the international community, required it to reach a settlement with the Palestinians, Dotan said.
"Everybody knows that there will be two states. The question is how we get there," she said.
Also speaking at the pre-Rosh Hashana toast in Kfar Hamaccabiah on Thursday night, Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik expressed the hope that a national emergency government would be established after the Kadima primaries.
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