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| Israel-Palestine |
| Sharon may call for early elections |
| 2005-01-04 |
| Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that he may call for early elections if an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party refused to join his coalition. In an interview with The New York Times, Sharon vowed to go ahead with the disengagement plan even if there is an early election. Sharon's Likud Party reached a deal with the Labor party to form a unity government, but it still needs the support of the United Torah Judaism's (UTJ) to secure majority in parliament for a coalition able to approve the evacuation of all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip as well as four other enclaves in the West Bank. "They (UTJ) changed their mind under heavy pressure from radical rabbis of the settlers. And part of my own party is against joining with Labor," The New York Times quoted Sharon as saying. "If I don't have a majority this week, then maybe we'll have to go to elections ... An election now would be a major mistake for Israel, but even if it becomes necessary, I will go ahead with disengagement." Sharon was forced to form a coalition to avoid early elections after he lost his parliamentary majority when he sacked members of his biggest coalition partner, the centrist Shinui party, who voted against the state budget. The United Torah Judaism's "council of sages" was considering on Monday whether to join the coalition. |
| Posted by:Fred |