Ramon: Elections should be held in november

 Last update - 10:28 31/05/2008       
Vice Premier: Expect elections by November
By Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz Correspondent

 

Vice Premier Haim Ramon addressed the Soref Symposium at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on Friday, saying that he believed that the general elections in Israel would be pushed up to this coming November.

 

Ramon, a close associate of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, spoke two days after Defense Minister Ehud Barak demanded, in a press conference, that Olmert resign from his post, in light of a corruption investigation currently underway against him, and threatened to force early elections if Olmert did not step aside voluntarily.

 

The elections in Israel take place every four years, but only one of the last eight Knesset assemblies completed its full term.
 
Ramon also addressed the issue of the recently renewed indirect negotiations between Israel and Syria, saying that he did not believes the talks would ultimately result in a peace agreement.

 

The comment is in contrast to reports Friday in the London-based Al-Sharq al-Awsat that in their latest round of indirect talks, Israel and Syria made progress on the contentious issues of water, security, borders and normalization of relations.

 

The vice premier also reiterated his support for continuing Israel Defense Forces operations in the Gaza Strip in efforts to end the ongoing Qassam rocket fire against southern Israeli communities.