Sharon pledges to stay in office until 2007

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, January 24, 2004

Sharon pledges to stay in office until 2007

Under mounting pressure from a bribery case, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in Tel Aviv on Jan. 22 that he would remain in office at least until electionsin 2007.

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Under mounting pressure from a bribery case, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in Tel Aviv on Jan. 22 that he would remain in office at least until elections in 2007.

"I came here as prime minister and chairman of the Likud party, positions I intend to fill for many years, at least until 2007," Sharon told members of his ruling Likud party.

Earlier Wednesday, Israeli businessman named David Appel was indicted at the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court for allegedly bribing Sharon in the so-called Greek island affair.

An amended charge sheet stated that Appel employed Sharon's son, Gilad Sharon, in a project to build a resort on a Greek island, and promised to pay him some three million US dollars with an alleged aim of influencing Sharon, then foreign minister.

According to the evidence in police hands, Appel continued paying Gilad even when it was evident the Greek island plan was going nowhere, so Sharon could allegedly continue helping Appel with his real estate deals.

Israeli Labor leader Shimon Peres on Wednesday asked Labor faction to file no-confidence motion against Sharon.

According to Israel Radio, Israeli prosecutors would decide within several weeks whether to indict Sharon, along with his son Gilad and his close ally Vice Premier Ehud Olmert, in the wake of the charges against Appel.

Source: Xinhua

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