Posted on 12/09/2004 1:11:31 PM PST by anotherview
Dec. 9, 2004 1:16 | Updated Dec. 9, 2004 22:58
Early results: Likud endorses national-unity government
By GIL HOFFMAN
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon casts his ballot at the Likud party meeting in Tel Aviv. Sharon is seeking his party's approval to include Labor in the government
Photo: AP
With most of the results in by 11 p.m. Thursday night, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon received a big political boost when the Likud central committee voted 65 percent to 35 percent to authorize him to begin negotiations on a national-unity government with Labor and haredi parties.
Sharon, who received election returns on his Negev ranch, was nervous all day Thursday due to initial low voter turnout. By 5pm, only 30 percent of the Likud's 2,930 central committee members had voted, compared to 60% in a race for Likud institutions just two weeks ago. But the final turnout ended up being a respectable 77.5%, some 2271 people.
Sharon intends to invite Labor leader Shimon Peres, Shas chairman Eli Yishai, and UTJ MKs on Friday to begin formal negotiations on Sunday in an attempt to reach coalition agreements within a week and bring them to the Knesset for approval on December 20.
"The vote proves that the Likud understands that the future of the country is dependent on Sharon's continued leadership," a Sharon associate said. "We hope that after so many twists and turns on the path to disengagement, there will be smoother sailing ahead."
The prime minister issued impassioned pleas to committee members via the press to come out to vote. He warned that he would initiate early elections if he would lose.
"Either Israel moves forward or it must retreat via an election," Sharon told reporters when he voted at 1pm. "Whoever does not vote gets in the way."
Sharon's associates blamed the turnout on Hanukkah, which they said caused many central committee members to vote later in the day.
The vote was nearly delayed by central committee members who asked the Tel Aviv District Court to permit voting on an alternative proposal that would authorize Sharon to negotiate with parties on the Right, but not with Labor. Judge Uri Goren turned down the request an hour ahead of when polls opened at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds.
The so-called Likud rebels next attempt to stop the disengagement plan will center on trying to force Sharon to bring coalition agreements back to the central committee for approval. Sharon rejected that possibility out of hand.
"It is untenable to have a government hamstrung by having to bring each and every decision to this or that forum," Sharon told Army Radio. "Even today's vote I am only holding for the sake of unity in the party."
Labor chairman Shimon Peres and former prime minister Ehud Barak reached a tentative compromise on Thursday on a June 29 date for the next Labor leadership race. Likud officials were hoping that Peres would succeed in keeping the Labor race at its currently scheduled date of December 2005.
Likud officials said the Labor decision made it more likely that Shas will be brought into the coalition as an insurance policy, in case a new Labor leader decides to quit the government as soon as disengagement is completed. But Shas chairman Eli Yishai told reporters on a visit to former captive Azzam Azzam on Thursday that he currently does not see himself joining the coalition.
Labor is expected to request the title of vice premier for Peres, along with eight portfolios, including Education and Justice. UTJ MKs are split over whether to request a minister, or to control a ministry via a deputy minister. The faction also wants the chairmanship of the Knesset Finance Committee for MK Ya'acov Litzman.
Education Minister Limor Livnat, who is afraid of losing her job to Labor, called upon the party to unite behind Sharon at a Tel Aviv Hanukka party she hosted in Tel Aviv on Thursday night. She said the new government would not be a unity government, but a "wide Likud-led government with Labor's participation," in which Labor would not be able to dictate its agenda on diplomatic, economic, or educational issues.
Sharon spent most of Wednesday making phone calls to key Likud activists and meeting his top allies in the Likud central committee. He intends to continue making calls on Thursday until polls close, in an effort to convince at least 2,000 of the 2,900 convention members to come out to vote.
The so-called Likud rebels and the party's Jewish Leadership ideological group, which worked hard to defeat Sharon in the August coalition vote and in the May referendum on disengagement, decided against making an active effort in Thursday's vote, calling it a "lost cause." But behind the scenes, a quiet effort has been made to get out the vote among disengagement opponents.
"Not being allowed to present an alternative proposal proves once again, unfortunately, that the Likud is run by bullying and not by democracy," rebel leader MK Uzi Landau said. "Listen to Labor saying that this will be a unilateral disengagement government with elections right after. Is this the stable government that we want?"
Speaking on Israel Radio Thursday morning, Landau would prefer joining with the National Religious Party and the ultra-orthodox parties, and putting off the disengagement plan for a few months, to wait out the possibility that, with new leadership in the Palestinian Authority, the plan can be carried out bilaterally.
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz convened a mass gathering of Likud activists on Wednesday night at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds, in his first major Likud event since entering politics two and a half years ago. He called on convention members to vote in favor of widening the coalition.
"Another election now will harm the Likud and the state of Israel," Mofaz said. "The competition will put the political system into a dangerous schism. I am convinced that a stable and strong national-unity government with Shas and UTJ is needed now for the Likud and the people of Israel."
Mofaz, who is planning a future run for the Likud leadership, spent most of the address attacking the frontrunner to eventually succeed Sharon, Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. He said the Likud has strayed from its purpose of advancing social issues.
Sources close to Netanyahu responded that "instead of drifting into populism, we would expect Mofaz to show responsibility and seriousness on economic and social issues. Mofaz knows that the fat in the IDF is one of the main causes preventing money from going to social issues, and he refused Netanyahu's request to cut from his own budget to help the weakest sectors of the population."
Netanyahu intends to convince his supporters to vote despite his concern that Labor will try to make too many changes to his economic reforms.
Despite the fact that she challenged Sharon on the disengagement plan when it came up for vote in the Knesset, demanding a national referendum on the issue, Education Minister Limor Livnat fully backs the prime minister on the unity proposal. Speaking to Israel Radio Thursday morning, Livnat emphasized the importance of stabilizing the government and the country, instead of bringing it to a breaking point.
Sharon spoke to Peres on Wednesday morning and they wished each other well in dealing with their problems within their own parties.
Asked if Labor would join the coalition until the end of the term, Sharon said, "I assume that a party that joins a government does not do so to leave right away."
Labor is divided over whether to join the government for its duration or to decide in advance that the party will leave the coalition as soon as a Gaza withdrawal is completed. The main dispute is between Peres, who wants to stay in, and his Labor rival, former prime minister Ehud Barak.
Likud MKs seeking promotions to portfolios, including MKs Ruhama Avraham and Roni Bar-On, campaigned all day at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds in an attempt to find favor with Sharon, who said this week that MKs who work harder ahead of the vote would be more likely to get promoted.
I think Shinui will come back into the coalition. I don't think Shas will be coming into the coalition with Likud, because of the disengagement plan, leaving only the other ultra-orthodox party, Agudat Yisrael, to come in, but they don't have many seats to give Sharon a good majority. It is therefore that I see a Labor-Likud-Shinui coalition.
Shas was part of several coalitions that worked for a peace process (i.e.: with both Rabin and Barak as PM) and they only recently became hawkish. This is why I don't see another reversal as impossible.
Shinui offered to sit with UTJ in a unity government earlier this year. We may yet see Likud-Labour-Shinui-UTJ.
One thing for certain: this is good news for those who want a new or revived peace process should Abu Mazen be elected by the Palestinians. It is also good news for those who support disengagement. It is very bad news for the settlers in Gaza who want to stay put and their supporters.
Menahem Rahat
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Likud party voted on Thursday in favor of his bid to bring opposition Labor into government, averting early elections and boosting his Gaza pullout plan.
Over 60% (1,410) of central committee members voted in favor of holding talks on the formation of a national unity government, while 856 opposed the proposal.
A relatively low turnout had initially caused concern for the Sharon camp throughout the evening, but the polls closed with a turnout of more than 70%.
Earlier, officials close to the prime minister expressed hope that the majority of voters would cast their vote this evening and tonight. Voting stations shut down at 10 pm.
Sharon, who voted earlier this afternoon, told reporters, “Either we continue leading the nation towards great achievements or we declare early elections. The members of the committee have a great responsibility. There are only several hours left to vote. Come to vote. Don’t stand in our way when we try to promote this nation”.
Earlier this afternoon, the Likud “rebels” filed an appeal with the High Court of Justice against the Tel Aviv District Court ruling that approved the opening of the voting stations.
The appellants argue that the district court decision is unclear since it does not clarify whether alternative proposals should be voted on.
This morning, the Tel Aviv District court rejected the appeal filed by the rebles against today's planned convention vote. Previously the court had issued an interim injunction ordering the polls to remain closed, until the appeal filed by the rebels had been heard.
The rebels, who oppose bringing Labor into the coalition, appealed the legitimacy of the vote, saying that they have been denied the elementary right to have their counter-proposal put on the ballot.
In addition they claim that the committee must have a full-scale discussion of the issue prior to a vote “What’s the point of voting without discussing the issues first”, said one of them, adding, “it’s clear the goalposts have been moved in the middle of the game”.
The rebels filed the appeal after the party’s internal court rejected their motion against the vote, claiming the PM, as party chairman has the right to bring whatever motion he wants before the committee.
The court ruled that the ballot enabled all those who opposed the PM's resolution to vote against it, and therefore was not prejudicial in any way. (2004-12-09 09:03:04.0)
This is hardly our first unity government. Prime Minister Sharon had Labour in the coalition during his first term. There was also a power sharing arrangement between Labour and Likud with Yitzhak Shamir and Shimon Peres alternating as Prime Minister after an indecisive election.
I think a unity government is a good idea when majour decisions that will decide Israel's future as a nation are taken. Disengagement and a revival of the peace process are clearly such issues. Labour's presence will push the process along and Likud's leadership will prevent the left wing of Labour from giving away too much.
National Union and Herut are going to pick up many seats from Likud next time around.
The Chayil (Valor) Party is the one of the few true Patriotic Parties in Israel!
Likus is Socialist? That's like saying American Republicans are Socialists too. Good grief!
"National Union and Herut are going to pick up many seats from Likud next time around."
I think not. While the views of National Union are popular on Free Republic they aren't exactly mainstream in Israel, hence the loss of a seat in the last election. I think the current seven seats are about what is likely to remain if nothing significant changes before the next election.
I, for one, support disengagement (about 70% of Israelis do according to polls) and support Likud.
Likud does have some real Right-wing parties but they are in the minority in Likud.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.