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Sharon Not to Accept Labor's Defense Candidate "Automatically": Radio
Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon said Tuesday that he will not be obligated to any candidate chosen by the Labor party for the defense portfolio.
In an interview with Israel Radio, Sharon said that he did not want to intervene in the Labor party's internal affair, but the defense portfolio is a very "sensitive and important" post and he will not approve any candidate that he thinks is not suitable.
The Labor party's Central Committee voted Monday to join a unity government led by Sharon's Likud, paving the way for Sharon to negotiate with other parties to form a government as soon as possible to avoid another election.
But the committee decided to hold another session on Thursday to approve its ministerial candidate list in the coalition government, including the portfolios of foreign, defense, transportation, agriculture, trade and industry, science, culture and sport.
It was assumed that Labor's interim leader Shimon Peres will take up the foreign minister's post, but several Laborites had contended for the defense portfolio.
Labor officials Tuesday met in Peres' office to decide the procedure for the Central Committee to choose ministerial candidates.
Sharon trounced outgoing Labor Prime Minister Ehud Barak in the February 6 election. But he invited the Labor to join his new government, with Barak as his favorite candidate for the defense portfolio.
Barak, who intended to accept Sharon's offer, finally decided to resign from all forms of political life, including his position as Labor leader, under heavy pressure from his party colleagues.
Since then, it was not clear who in the Labor party will take up the defense minister's post.
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