Sharon allies promote new party as peacemaker

Ariel Sharon’s main allies launched their election campaign today, saying the prime minister’s new centrist party would push for a final agreement with the Palestinians and the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Sharon’s party, formed yesterday when he seceded from the hard-line Likud, gained instant support across Israel. Polls indicated the party would muster enough votes in elections to propel Sharon back into the premier’s seat.

Officials said March 28 was the agreed election date.

Seeking to build on the momentum from Sharon’s announcement, several Likud defectors who joined the prime minister took to the airwaves to define the still unnamed party, telling reporters that it would support a deal with the Palestinians based on the internationally-backed “road map” peace plan.

“The process clearly is a process that leads in the direction of two states,” justice minister Tzipi Livni told Army Radio. “We will lead in the direction of two states.”

Finance minister Ehud Olmert, a top Sharon ally, said the prime minister wanted to draw Israel’s final borders in talks with the Palestinians.

“All his life he has been fighting for secure borders to ensure security and peace,” Olmert told Army Radio after a meeting with his Palestinian counterpart, Salam Fayyad.

Sharon’s opponents in his old party began the race to replace him, while taking pot-shots at their former leader.

Former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the front-runner to head Likud, called Sharon a dictator who pursued “one-man-rule, who apparently doesn’t recognise democracy, and is setting-up a party of puppets”.

“What does it matter whether the dictator has this type of smile, or that type of sense of humour?” he asked. “It all leads to tyranny.”

Olmert hit back, saying that Netanyahu did not have the fortitude to lead the country.

“Bibi is a man who doesn’t know how to stand up to any pressure. With the smallest pressure he falls apart,” he said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.

A poll published in today’s Maariv newspaper showed Sharon’s party dominating the 120-member Knesset with 30 seats, with the Labour Party getting 26 seats and Likud dwindling from its current 40 to 15 if Netanyahu becomes party chief.

The poll of 532 people had a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.

A poll in the Yediot Ahronot daily showed Sharon’s party winning 33 seats, Labour 26 and a Netanyahu-led Likud just 12. The survey of 702 people had a margin of error of about 3.8 percentage points.

Foreign minister Silvan Shalom announced today that he would challenge Netanyahu, joining defence minister Shaul Mofaz, agriculture minister Israel Katz and former cabinet minister Uzi Landau in the race to lead Likud into the next election.

Acting Likud chairman Tzachi Hanegbi recommended the party hold elections for a new leader on December 19.

Sharon announced on Monday night that he was leaving Likud to give himself a free hand to pursue peacemaking opportunities created by Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip this summer.

Today, the parliament and president settled their differences and set March 28 as the date for elections, officials said.

Parliament spokesman Giora Pordes said that, under the agreement, the parliament would pass a law calling elections, while allowing prime minister Sharon to appoint ministers in the interim.

Sharon had asked president Moshe Katsav to dissolve the parliament, and Katsav agreed – but the parliament went ahead with its legislation, setting up a conflict.

After a day of negotiations, Katsav accepted the arrangement, said his spokeswoman, Hagit Cohen. “From the president’s perspective, this is acceptable,” she said.

Sharon’s new party remained nameless yesterday. Sharon reportedly rejected “National Responsibility” as not catchy enough and political analysts mocked a proposal to call it “Hope”.

Sharon aide Lior Chorev said another new possibility was “Forward”.