Sharon calls for Israel to hold early elections

CHICAGO - Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon says the country should hold early elections to replace Prime Minister Ehud Barak and the Labour Party with his right-wing Likud Party.

At a news briefing yesterday, following a Chicago speech to a group of Jewish leaders from around the world, Sharon said the danger of having the Labour Party negotiate the terms of a potential peace agreement with the Palestinians was too great to put off elections.

"It's not an easy thing, but we are making an effort [to call for early elections] because I think the situation is so dangerous now ... and, therefore, there should be an election," Sharon said.

"We have to replace the Government with another government which I believe will be able to take care of the [issues] that were neglected by this Government."

The Likud Party under Sharon is unwilling to divide Jerusalem, unwilling to hand over to Palestinians certain areas of land termed "the buffer zone," and unwilling to agree to a right of return for Palestinian refugees.

"We have to decide between two things - one is a danger in the security of the Israeli citizens and a danger in the state of Israel, [and the other is] to go to elections. We have to take the one that is a less danger - and the less danger is elections," Sharon said.

Barak was elected in 1999 and has another three years in his term.

Asked if he expected a challenge from former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the Likud leadership, Sharon said: "Why I am a better choice [to lead Likud] I don't have to explain - I think that's clear. I believe I will be the one that will be elected [Likud leader] and will challenge Barak in the coming elections. I believe that I will replace him."

Sharon dismissed Palestinian claims that his visit in late September to a holy site - Judaism's Temple Mount and Islam's al-Haram al-Sharif - sparked the recent wave of violence in the region.

"My visit to the Temple Mount served only as a poor excuse to launch this premeditated, orchestrated campaign," he said, blaming the Palestinians for the recent violence.

Sharon addressed the Chicago conference one day after Barak spoke there. Barak reiterated that it was up to the Palestinian leadership to stop the violence raging in the West Bank and Gaza.

- REUTERS

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