Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: Toni?

Dec. 14, 2006 19:34 | Updated Dec. 14, 2006 22:45
Labor sets May 28 for primary
By GIL HOFFMAN
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The Labor Party central committee set a May 28 date for the Labor
leadership race Thursday, following a series of compromises between
the candidates.
The decision formally kicked off a 165-day race in which Labor
chairman Amir Peretz will be fighting for his political survival.
Peretz vowed to take advantage of the party's six-week membership
drive that ends January 30 to bring new supporters into the party and
remain in power.
"I have been blamed for everything except the escape of Benny Sela," a
combative Peretz told the crowd at Tel Aviv's Dan Panorama Hotel. "I
take the criticism to heart. But I won't give in to pressure. No one
can forget that I am made of different material and I won't break. I
won't flee to America or to Yeroham. I know how to fight and I will
win." Peretz was referring to two of his predecessors, Yeroham Mayor
Amram Mitzna and former prime minister Ehud Barak.
Speculation surfaced after the central committee vote over whether
Barak would join a field of candidates that officially includes Peretz
and MKs Ami Ayalon, Avishay Braverman, Ophir Paz-Pines, Danny Yatom
and possibly Matan Vilna'i.
Sources close to Barak said he would decide within a week whether to
run. They said he would have preferred that the central committee had
decided not to hold a membership drive, but the May date for the race
was good for him. One candidate said the reason he wanted to open the
drive was to discourage Barak from running.
A Ma'agar Muhot poll of 527 Labor members broadcast on Israel Radio
Thursday found that if the election was held today, Ayalon would win
with 26 percent of the vote, followed by Paz-Pines with 19%, Peretz
16%, Barak 14%, Braverman 9% and Yatom 4%.
Asked who they wanted as defense minister, 45% of the respondents said
Ayalon and 25% Barak. In a separate question, 75% said they did not
want Peretz as defense minister.
In another bad sign for Peretz, his calls for the central committee to
talk about the economic issue the meeting was initially called for
went unheeded. As soon as the vote on the election date was completed
and the economic debate began, the overwhelming majority of the crowd
left, leaving behind only 40 people.
Labor secretary-general Eitan Cabel expressed satisfaction that Labor
would welcome new members, who will each pay a fee of NIS 40 to NIS 80
that will help the party repay its debts and finance the election.
"I am screaming but no one is listening to me that it's impossible to
make do with the budget of 19 mandates and pay the party's salaries
and debts," Cabel said. "There comes a time when not everything is
political. Democracy costs money."
National Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer negotiated the
compromises, persuading Peretz to drop his effort to postpone the vote
and Agriculture Minister Shalom Simhon to give up his proposal for an
election in March with no membership drive.
Ben-Eliezer said Labor had "avoided World War III" and prevented
infighting over the election date that could have cost the party
additional seats in the next Knesset.
"It's a big achievement that keeps the party together," he said. "I am
glad that the pictures from today are of compromise and not of
fighting."
Ben-Eliezer said whoever is elected in May would not automatically be
the party's candidate for prime minister in the next election, so
there may have to be yet another Labor race in the near future.
-- 
http://bloggoanchio.splinder.com

 By GIL HOFFMAN
Tutto bene. Un forte partito democratico prepara le primarie.
Grazie della segnalazione.
Tb