Olmert: I'll resign after Kadima primary
Jul. 30, 2008
Gil Hoffman , THE JERUSALEM POST
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert intends to hand his resignation letter to President Shimon Peres the day after the September 17 Kadima primary and ask him to entrust the new party leader with forming a new government, Olmert's associates said Wednesday night.
They spoke soon after the prime minister had made a somber speech at his official residence in Jerusalem in which he announced that he would not seek to retain the leadership.
By law, Olmert will remain prime minister until a new government is formed. If the new Kadima leader forms a government soon after the primary, Olmert will then leave office. But if no new government is established, Olmert, despite having formally tendered his resignation, could remain prime minister until after a general election that would likely be held in spring 2009.
Olmert decided 10 days ago to announce his imminent departure on Wednesday - to coincide with the last day of the Knesset's summer session and the Kadima election committee's formal decision to set the September 17 date for the primary.
He kept his decision a secret. However, before his speech, Olmert called US President George W. Bush to inform him of his impending move, he briefed his lawyers, and his office alerted the four Kadima leadership candidates.
"He didn't want to humiliate himself by waiting until the last minute as some people thought he would," an Olmert associate said. "He is the most realistic person in the world. He didn't want to look like he cared only about himself by staying as long as possible. He decided he wanted to play the responsible adult." ...
A Bit Of Good News: Olmert to Resign
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