Sharon's Legal Troubles

[Adversary2Arabs]

If Sharon were to resignate from the post of Prime Minister, who is likely to [or will] take over as the new Prime Minister? What exactly will happen after he resignates [if he does]?

Is there a new election? If so, will the opposition most likely win?

[NewsGuy]

As of now there is no indication that Sharon will resign, and I don't know why he would, considering that an indictment is not a conviction.

So far, the only ones speaking of resignation are the extreme Leftists at Meretz, who suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Sharon and the Likud. Of course, they've been calling for his resignation twice a week since his election, and their yapping amounts to nothing.

Let's look at the law:

Under Israeli law, there is absolutely no requirement for a politician like Sharon to resign, even if he were to be indicted.

So, if Sharon would be indicted, there are 3 options:

1) Sharon has the option to voluntarily take something like a temporary leave of absence while defending his case. Under this scenario, the Likud's second-in-command, Ehud Olmert, would take over as PM.

2) Sharon has the right to resign voluntarily, in which case the Likud has an internal election to replace him. My bet is that Netanyahu would prevail and become PM.

3) Sharon can continue as usual. He has no requirement to resign. he would simply continue serving as PM.

My hope is that there will not be an indictment, but if there is, Israel's democracy will shrug it off with time, although it is certainly no badge of honor.

[L@mplighterM]

I think Sharon should step aside if he’s indictment, all this really means is that he wont be the PM anymore but of course he would still retain his seat. A move like that would neither strengthen nor weaken the Likud Party.

I do however feel that time is not of the essence so any charges should be put on the backburner to a point in time where he’s no longer a PM.

[Oh Jerusalem]

Originally posted by L@mplighterM
I think Sharon should step aside if he’s indictment, all this really means is that he wont be the PM anymore but of course he would still retain his seat. A move like that would neither strengthen nor weaken the Likud Party.
I agree.
I do however feel that time is not of the essence so any charges should be put on the backburner to a point in time where he’s no longer a PM.
I disagree. Thanks for offering to keep an accused corrupt prime minister in power.

In any case, the AG has said that the case is very thin, from what he's seen so far and he'll have to chew on it over Passover - with all that matza in between - before he reaches a decision.

And what almost no one is paying attention to how this information "leaked" from chief prosecutor Edna Arbel's office. How convenient!

[Adversary2Arabs]

Sharon is a piece of trash who, seemingly, wants to destroy the State. The only problem is, Ehud Olmert is actually worse...

But my question was basically just if he left power, who'd take power? New election, automatically Olmert....?

[L@mplighterM]

Originally posted by Oh Jerusalem
I agree.

I disagree. Thanks for offering to keep an accused corrupt prime minister in power.

In any case, the AG has said that the case is very thin, from what he's seen so far and he'll have to chew on it over Passover - with all that matza in between - before he reaches a decision.

And what almost no one is paying attention to how this information "leaked" from chief prosecutor Edna Arbel's office. How convenient!

Allegations are a dime a dozen and he’s not guilty at this point. Israel needs to present a united front and if it can’t do that it opens the door to terrorism.

As far as I’m concerned people like Peres are sniffling cowards that run to one of the worst terrorists on this planet and makes his hand dirty. He should cut it off and burn it!

The left encourages terrorism because it gives them hope that they might gain by their despicable acts. It seems to me that if all Israelis presented a united front and tackled terrorism head on with a deadly force the Palestinians would get the message that the only thing that they can gain is death.

[Oh Jerusalem]

Originally posted by L@mplighterM
Allegations are a dime a dozen and he’s not guilty at this point. Israel needs to present a united front and if it can’t do that it opens the door to terrorism.
Sharon hasn't united anything for the last two years.

As far as I’m concerned people like Peres are sniffling cowards that run to one of the worst terrorists on this planet and makes his hand dirty. He should cut it off and burn it!
Posh'ei Oslo La'din!

The left encourages terrorism because it gives them hope that they might gain by their despicable acts. It seems to me that if all Israelis presented a united front and tackled terrorism head on with a deadly force the Palestinians would get the message that the only thing that they can gain is death.
Indeed, that would be a lifesaver. Stupid Jews. :(

[Oh Jerusalem]

Here's the Sharon you're still hanging your hopes on> Not only is he hijacking the Likud, he's hijacking the whole country.

Arbel leak torpedoed national unity government [And technical note] (http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=20275)

Maariv Online reveals: PM recently reached an agreement with top Labor
officials on a national unity government but talks were frozen when Arbel
recommended indicting Sharon.
Yifat Zohar and Ben Kaspit Maariv 30 March 2004
maarivintl.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=5400

[IMRA: It should be noted that under the Basic Law, Prime Minister Sharon
can fire any minister he wishes to. The Knesset has to approve the
appointment of new ministers but a plurality rather than a 61 vote majority
is required. The last thing Sharon would want to do is resign in a move to
set up a new government as under Basic Law, he is NOT to be assigned the
task:

29. (a) Should the Prime Minister ascertain that a majority of the Knesset
opposes the Government, and that the effective functioning of the Government
is prevented as a result, he may, with the approval of the President of the
State, disperse the Knesset by way of an order to be published in Reshumot.
The order will enter into effect 21 days after its publication, unless a
request is submitted under subsection (c), and the Government will be deemed
to have resigned on the day of the order's publication.
(b) Within 21 days of the publication of the order, a majority of the
Knesset Members may request that the President charge one of its members,
who has so agreed in writing and who is not the Prime Minister, with the
task of forming a government.]

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made a clear statement at a meeting of the
Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Monday: "If the government
loses its majority because some members of the coalition resign, I will
establish an alternative government", Sharon said. The only problem is that
State Prosecutor Edna Arbel recommended indicting Sharon and torpedoed his
plan.

Arbel's unequivocal recommendation that charges should be filed against
Sharon immediately put the brakes on the secret plan that Sharon's
associates were formulating with representatives of the Labor Party. The
agreement apparently included conditions for establishing a national unity
government including division of portfolios.

Sharon's negotiating team was led by Bureau Chief Dov Weisglass while MK
Haim Ramon led the Labor team. The Weisglass-Ramon agreement stated that if
US President George W. Bush supports the disengagement plan and the
right-wing parties therefore announce their resignation from the government,
Labor would be ready to take the empty seats in the shortest possible time.

Other conditions included in the agreement were: withdrawal from the Gaza
Strip would take no more than one year and that Labor would receive six
portfolios, if it joined the coalition alone, and seven if it combined with
MK Amir Peretz's One Nation party. The portfolio assigned to Labor would
include the Foreign Ministry, an additional minister in the Foreign
Ministry, Transportation and Housing. Other possibilities were Welfare and
Tourism. One of Shinnui's portfolios might also change hands.

Labor chairman MK Shimon Peres would be appointed Minister of Foreign
Affairs; Ramon would be the additional minister in his office. The identity
of other Labor ministers remained an open question. Peres might make the
appointments himself or might bring them to the party's central committee
for approval. Conspicuous candidates include MKs Dalia Itzik, Binyamin
Ben-Eliezer, Ephraim Sneh and Matan Vilnai.

Top political sources said that the deal was contained in a non-binding
memorandum and the content was not revealed to most members of the parties
involved. Senior sources in the Labor Party would neither confirm nor deny
this information adding, "Considering the State Prosecutor's recommendation
to indict Sharon, there is nothing to discuss". Indeed, immediately after
Arbel's recommendation was made public, Labor froze all negotiations until t
he Attorney General gives his decision in the case.

Meanwhile, there is commotion within the Likud. Outwardly, members are
expressing full support for Sharon and belief in his innocence. Behind the
scenes, the potential heirs are quietly organizing a majority of 61 MKs who
are willing to inform the President that they support a certain candidate to
establish the next government. Then, if Sharon were to resign, Katzav would
appoint a new Prime Minister on the basis of the parties' recommendations.