(IsraelNN.com) Prime Minister Ehud Olmert probably will not run in the Kadima party leadership primaries in September after realizing that his popularity has plummeted, according to a number of media reports. The internal elections will be held between September 14-18, with a second round held by Sept. 25, if necessary. 

However, Kadima election steering committee head Knesset Member Tzachi HaNegbi denied Thursday morning that the Prime Minister has made a final decision, which he said will not be announced until next month.

The Prime Minister agreed to new primaries as the price for Labor's remaining in the coalition. However, he never ruled out the possibility that he himself would participate in the election for party head. Prime Minister Olmert said on Wednesday that he has not decided on whether to run again, softening a previous statement that he probably would be a candidate in the September primaries.

Latest Agreement: Olmert Must Announce
According to an agreement finalized Wednesday night by the Kadima leaders, Olmert must announce by mid-August whether he will run or not.  The leader chosen in the primaries is to immediately work to form a new government, according to the process prescribed by law for such situations.  These are two of the clauses of the agreement, the ratification of which will be voted on by the party secretariat on Thursday night.

Olmert is hoping that after his lawyers cross-examine American businessman Morris Talansky, who has testified that he gave Olmert at least $150,000 in cash, the demands to oust him from office will die out.  Prime Minister Olmert also had proposed that the new leader would not replace him until the next elections, leaving him in power until then.

Nitzan Unhappy With Agreement
Meir Nitzan, Mayor of Rishon LeTzion and Chairman of the Kadima secretariat, said on Thursday that he does not feel Olmert must be forced out of office until and unless he is convicted by a court of law.  He also said he is not happy with the agreement reached "behind closed doors" regarding the consequences of the primaries. "I am not at all certain if I will vote in favor of it tonight," he said, "and I am not sure it will pass." 

By his own admission, Olmert is the least popular Prime Minister ever to lead Israel. Prime Minister Olmert has made several unprecedented overtures in an attempt to overcome public disapproval resulting from the criminal investigations against him. He has agreed to a long string of concessions to Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas, approved freeing Arab terrorists for the bodies and remains of fallen IDF soldiers, and announced that indirect talks are taking place with Syria, which has demanded Israel relinquish the strategic Golan Heights.