Olmert might be forced to resign

 

As the release of Winograd Commission's final report on the Second Lebanon War approaches, speculations in the political arena are mounting and Zionist MPs begin preparing for the report's aftermath.

 

A senior Kadima official told Israeli daily Ynet Monday that many in the faction have already agreed to promote the election of a new chairman in case the report's conclusions do not allow Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to remain in office.

 

The senior official stated that Olmert was expected to resign if the report indicated that he should do so.

 

According to the source, the faction would "strongly object" to a situation in which Olmert and Labor leader Ehud Barak jointly agree on pushing forward the elections. "We will not allow Olmert to be a lame duck party chairman and prime minister," he concluded.