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Peres Decides Not to Run for Israeli Premiership
Former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres decided Thursday night not to run in the upcoming prime ministerial election next February, as the left-wing Meretz party decided not to support his candidacy.
Peres's spokesman Yoram Dori told Xinhua that a majority in the Meretz's Executive Council decided to support caretaker Prime Minister Ehud Barak in the election and Peres fell short of the law-required 10 lawmaker signatories supporting his candidacy.
In the case, the contest will take place between Barak and Ariel Sharon, leader of the hawkish opposition Likud party.
Earlier in the night, a three-way meeting between Barak, Peres and Meretz leader Yossi Sarid failed to reach any agreement regarding Peres's candidacy.
Barak and Sarid reportedly attempted to pressure Peres to accept a Meretz compromise plan, in which Barak promises Peres, a Nobel peace laureate, a leading role in the peace talks with the Palestinians and a key post in his future government in exchange for the former prime minister's withdrawal from the coming race.
But Peres rejected the bait, saying that he intents to run for premiership and would wait for the result of the Meretz Executive Council's meeting.
The unfavorable result of Meretz Executive Council forced Peres to quit the race.
While presenting to Barak and Peres his compromise plan Thursday afternoon, Sarid threatened that whoever does not accept the plan will lose Meretz's support in the upcoming election.
But Peres clarified his stands hours later that he could not accept such a plan and all he wanted to do was to prevent a Sharon victory in the elections and the destruction of the left-wing camp.
Then, Sarid decided to recommend at the Meretz meeting that the party should not support Peres's bid. It was obvious that Meretz lawmakers feared that if they did not vote according to Sarid's recommendation, the party leader would resign.
Analysts also pointed out that some Meretz members were worried that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat may have litter wish to reach a deal with Barak if he sees any chance of Peres winning.
One of the architects of the Oslo peace process between Israel and the Palestinians since 1993, Peres has been dealing with Arafat frequently and been dovish on the peace process with the Palestinians.
Israeli and Palestinian negotiation teams are holding talks in Washington, trying to reach a peace agreement before US President Bill Clinton leaves the White House on January 20 and the Israeli election on February 6.
Barak, whose government has been without a parliamentary majority since July, resigned December 10 under the opposition parties' pressure.
His handling of the Israeli-Palestinian clashes, which have left over 300 people dead and some 10,000 others injured during the past 11 weeks, drew severe criticisms from both left and right wings of Israeli parties.
Recent opinion polls have showed that in a race between Barak and Sharon, Barak would definitely lose if he could not reach an agreement by the election day.
For 77-year-old Peres, the withdrawal may means the end of his political life.
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