Labor Party Chairman Peres made the angry declaration yesterday (Tuesday) following a meeting with Ariel Sharon, in which Sharon said that he is currently unable to include Labor in a national unity government. Despite this, the Prime Minister asked Peres to continue to prop up his government. Peres refused.
Labor Party officials said Peres was "quite irritated” after his meeting with the Prime Minister. The party is now scheduled to submit a no-confidence motion in the government next Monday. Labor Knesset faction head Dalia Itzik said this morning, "Next week, all 19 of us, plus 2 MKs of the Am Echad faction, will vote no-confidence in the government."
The far-left Meretz-Yachad party has announced that its 6 MKs will not support Labor's no-confidence motion. Knesset faction chairperson Zahava Gal'on said today that her party is determined to make it possible for Ariel Sharon to carry out the unilateral disengagement/expulsion plan from Gush Katif and northern Shomron.
Without Meretz-Yachad, it will be very hard to pass the no-confidence motion and topple the government. The government will fall only if 61 MKs vote against it.
Labor officials continue to say that though they will support the government on the disengagement, they will vote against it on every other issue. "Are we the babysitters of Sharon's government?" Itzik asked caustically. "It's a government that is simply non-functional: There are two Shinui Party ministers waiting to be appointed, but there is no Knesset majority to do so; the poverty report of yesterday is a calamity; the NRP is out. It's not our job to prop them up."
Labor allowed the Sharon government to survive two no-confidence votes on Monday night by abstaining.
Peres, who has long supported voting in favor of the government and keeping alive the option of joining it, told his party colleagues before the vote, “We are in favor of either holding new elections, or forming a national unity government. We do not support not making any decision at all."
An important factor affecting decisions in the Labor Party is the announced return of former Prime Minister Ehud Barak to politics. Barak declared three weeks ago that he intends to run for the party leadership – a move to which most of the current party leadership, including Peres, objects.
Peres convened leading party officials yesterday - Itzik, Matan Vilnai, Chaim Ramon, Ephraim Sneh, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and Amram Mitzna – and the group decided not to set a date for internal elections for party head. Rather, if the government falls, "emergency regulations" would take effect and the party leader would be chosen in a rushed process. Barak had hoped for elections in March or April.
Peres is hoping for a quick decision – either joining the government or bringing it down – so as to strengthen his position at the party helm.
Labor Party officials said Peres was "quite irritated” after his meeting with the Prime Minister. The party is now scheduled to submit a no-confidence motion in the government next Monday. Labor Knesset faction head Dalia Itzik said this morning, "Next week, all 19 of us, plus 2 MKs of the Am Echad faction, will vote no-confidence in the government."
The far-left Meretz-Yachad party has announced that its 6 MKs will not support Labor's no-confidence motion. Knesset faction chairperson Zahava Gal'on said today that her party is determined to make it possible for Ariel Sharon to carry out the unilateral disengagement/expulsion plan from Gush Katif and northern Shomron.
Without Meretz-Yachad, it will be very hard to pass the no-confidence motion and topple the government. The government will fall only if 61 MKs vote against it.
Labor officials continue to say that though they will support the government on the disengagement, they will vote against it on every other issue. "Are we the babysitters of Sharon's government?" Itzik asked caustically. "It's a government that is simply non-functional: There are two Shinui Party ministers waiting to be appointed, but there is no Knesset majority to do so; the poverty report of yesterday is a calamity; the NRP is out. It's not our job to prop them up."
Labor allowed the Sharon government to survive two no-confidence votes on Monday night by abstaining.
Peres, who has long supported voting in favor of the government and keeping alive the option of joining it, told his party colleagues before the vote, “We are in favor of either holding new elections, or forming a national unity government. We do not support not making any decision at all."
An important factor affecting decisions in the Labor Party is the announced return of former Prime Minister Ehud Barak to politics. Barak declared three weeks ago that he intends to run for the party leadership – a move to which most of the current party leadership, including Peres, objects.
Peres convened leading party officials yesterday - Itzik, Matan Vilnai, Chaim Ramon, Ephraim Sneh, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and Amram Mitzna – and the group decided not to set a date for internal elections for party head. Rather, if the government falls, "emergency regulations" would take effect and the party leader would be chosen in a rushed process. Barak had hoped for elections in March or April.
Peres is hoping for a quick decision – either joining the government or bringing it down – so as to strengthen his position at the party helm.