The Likud-Labor coalition negotiations have netted Prime Minister Sharon another immediate gain: Labor agreed last night to withdraw its demand for a diplomatic/political Knesset session today, the last day before the Knesset's summer recess.
The session would have involved a speech by the Prime Minister, followed by a Knesset vote to approve or reject it. Given the delicate political situation in the Knesset, in which Sharon does not enjoy wide support even within his own party for his diplomatic plans, it is not certain that his address would have received a majority vote.
A Labor-issued statement stated, "In light of the progress being made on the diplomatic front in the coalition negotiations, we have responded affirmatively to the request by Likud leaders not to place the Prime Minister in an awkward situation, and we withdrew our request for a special Knesset session on the disengagement plan."
The Likud-Labor negotiations are not going as well as it may appear, however. Senior Labor negotiator and former Cabinet Minister Moshe Shachal wished to resign from the team last week. Shachal claimed that his colleagues MKs Chaim Ramon and Dalia Itzik - both candidates for ministers if Labor joins - are "rushing into the government without standing up for the party's principles." In the end, he was convinced not to resign, and will be allowed to draw up the party's diplomatic demands.
Labor leaders are said to be dealing not only with the coalition negotiations, but also with the ministerial possibilities opening up for them. There are said to be ten candidates for what appear to be six ministerial positions. One possibility is that Labor Chairman Shimon Peres will personally select the ministers, while some hope that the party's Central Committee will choose the ministers in a secret ballot.
The session would have involved a speech by the Prime Minister, followed by a Knesset vote to approve or reject it. Given the delicate political situation in the Knesset, in which Sharon does not enjoy wide support even within his own party for his diplomatic plans, it is not certain that his address would have received a majority vote.
A Labor-issued statement stated, "In light of the progress being made on the diplomatic front in the coalition negotiations, we have responded affirmatively to the request by Likud leaders not to place the Prime Minister in an awkward situation, and we withdrew our request for a special Knesset session on the disengagement plan."
The Likud-Labor negotiations are not going as well as it may appear, however. Senior Labor negotiator and former Cabinet Minister Moshe Shachal wished to resign from the team last week. Shachal claimed that his colleagues MKs Chaim Ramon and Dalia Itzik - both candidates for ministers if Labor joins - are "rushing into the government without standing up for the party's principles." In the end, he was convinced not to resign, and will be allowed to draw up the party's diplomatic demands.
Labor leaders are said to be dealing not only with the coalition negotiations, but also with the ministerial possibilities opening up for them. There are said to be ten candidates for what appear to be six ministerial positions. One possibility is that Labor Chairman Shimon Peres will personally select the ministers, while some hope that the party's Central Committee will choose the ministers in a secret ballot.