Olmert said that Labor, the second-largest party with 19 Knesset seats, will be a "senior partner in the coalition." Kadima has 29 seats.
Olmert is scheduled to become the Prime Minister ten days from now when Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is officially termed "permanently incapacitated." He said that Kadima and Labor negotiators would hammer out guidelines for the new coalition, and then "whoever is willing to accept these guidelines is welcome to join the government as well."
IsraelNationalTV's Yoni Kempenski reports from the Prime Minister's office on the Olmert-Peretz press conference and coalition negotiations.Click "play" to view video - click here if video does not appear
Tensions between Kadima and Labor over the past few days had threatened to impede a partnership between the two, and Peretz even considered trying to form a Kadima-less government himself. However, the two leaders held secret talks over the past two days, and, as Peretz explained to his party colleagues today, "I was waiting to see if anything would be leaked from these meetings, and happily, nothing did. No one in Kadima or Labor even knew of the meetings."
It appears likely that Peretz will be assigned the Defense Ministry portfolio in the new government, and this is expected to lead to some discontent in Kadima. Incumbent Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz and Kadima newcomer Avi Dichter, the former head of the General Security Service, both see themselves as worthy candidates for the post. Similar personnel problems are foreseen in Kadima when other ministries are distributed to Labor.
Olmert also met with Likud Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu today, inviting him to join the coalition as well. Likud leaders said that such an eventuality is most unlikely. "The public has given us the job of serving as the Opposition," MK Yuval Shteinitz said, "and we will do it well." MK Michael Eitan said, "We will strongly fight all of Olmert's 'turning inward' schemes" - a reference to additional unilateral withdrawals planned by Kadima.
Olmert is scheduled to become the Prime Minister ten days from now when Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is officially termed "permanently incapacitated." He said that Kadima and Labor negotiators would hammer out guidelines for the new coalition, and then "whoever is willing to accept these guidelines is welcome to join the government as well."
Tensions between Kadima and Labor over the past few days had threatened to impede a partnership between the two, and Peretz even considered trying to form a Kadima-less government himself. However, the two leaders held secret talks over the past two days, and, as Peretz explained to his party colleagues today, "I was waiting to see if anything would be leaked from these meetings, and happily, nothing did. No one in Kadima or Labor even knew of the meetings."
It appears likely that Peretz will be assigned the Defense Ministry portfolio in the new government, and this is expected to lead to some discontent in Kadima. Incumbent Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz and Kadima newcomer Avi Dichter, the former head of the General Security Service, both see themselves as worthy candidates for the post. Similar personnel problems are foreseen in Kadima when other ministries are distributed to Labor.
Olmert also met with Likud Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu today, inviting him to join the coalition as well. Likud leaders said that such an eventuality is most unlikely. "The public has given us the job of serving as the Opposition," MK Yuval Shteinitz said, "and we will do it well." MK Michael Eitan said, "We will strongly fight all of Olmert's 'turning inward' schemes" - a reference to additional unilateral withdrawals planned by Kadima.