Israel's ruling Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni Thursday urged Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to suspend himself immediately in light of the indictment facing him over the Rishon Tours scandal, local daily The Jerusalem Post reported on its website.
Livni, who is also the foreign minister, convened an emergency meeting of Kadima on Thursday to discuss the repercussions of a potential indictment against Olmert.
"Kadima was formed to wave the banner of clean governance," Livni said at the meeting at Kadima's Petah Tikva headquarters. " The prime minister like anyone else in Israel is innocent until proven guilty but citizen Olmert should fight from his home and not from the position of prime minister."
"Israel cannot tolerate having a prime minister who has been indicted. It is a moral, ethical and practical test. The prime minister must suspend itself. There is no other option," she continued.
If Olmert would suspend himself, Livni would automatically take over as acting prime minister due to her position as vice premier.
Such a move would give benefit Livni ahead of the Feb. 10 general election, because it would allow her to run from the Prime Minister's Office against former prime ministers Binyamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, said The Jerusalem Post.
Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz told Olmert on Wednesday that he is considering indicting him for allegedly using state funds from multiple state bodies to finance private trips abroad.
The decision by Mazuz to indict Olmert still depends on the outcome of a hearing between Mazuz and Olmert and his lawyers, the Justice Ministry said Wednesday in a statement, adding that the hearing would be held at a time agreed upon by both sides.
If the experience of former president Moshe Katsav is anything to go by, Olmert's hearing should take place in about four months, said The Jerusalem Post.
(Xinhua News Agency November 27, 2008)
