Peres defection from Labour a coup for Sharon

FORMER Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres quit the Labour Party yesterday, leaving his political home of nearly six decades to campaign for Ariel Sharon's new centrist party.

The 82-year-old, who has held every major cabinet position, left Labour after his humiliating loss to union leader Amir Peretz in the race for party leader three weeks ago.

He said he was supporting Mr Sharon because he had the best chance of restarting the peace process with the Palestinians.

"It was not easy but I made the choice and decided," Mr Peres said.

The move caps dramatic realignments in Israeli politics over the past month, following the summer pull-out from Gaza and part of the West Bank.

The defection was a coup for Mr Sharon's new Kadima Party as the major political factions scramble to snare high-profile supporters before March parliamentary elections. Many Israelis respect Mr Peres for his decades of service to the country, but some view him warily as a dove and political opportunist.

Under a reported deal worked out with Mr Sharon, Mr Peres would campaign for the prime minister without officially joining Kadima. If Mr Sharon wins, Mr Peres would receive a senior cabinet post, either dealing with the peace process or with his pet project to develop Israel's sparsely populated Negev desert and northern Galilee regions.

"I don't believe that it is possible to push forward the peace process in the current political constellation," Mr Peres said. "I believe the most qualified person for this is Ariel Sharon. He will restart the peace process right after the election. I decided to join him and work with him."

In an independent poll published yesterday, Kadima won 34 seats in the 120-member parliament, up one from a survey last week. Labour, Kadima's most likely coalition partner, also gained a seat, for a new total of 27.

Likud, which dominated Israeli politics for three decades, dropped from 40 to 10 seats.