Former prime minister and Labor leadership candidate Ehud Barak announced on Monday afternoon his support for MK Colette Avital as the preferred presidential candidate. "MK Avital is a worthy individual with many achievements, and she is the Labor Party's only candidate," Barak said. Fellow Labor MK Ophir Paz-Pines also recently announced he would support Avital's candidacy. MK Ami Ayalon, on the other hand, said he supported Vice Premier Shimon Peres for president. Both Paz-Pines and Ayalon are competing with Barak in the coming Labor primaries.