Sharon calls for snap Israeli election

JERUSALEM - Ariel Sharon has called for a snap election in February following the Labour Party's plan to leave the Prime Minister's shaky coalition.

"As soon as it became clear the existing political framework was falling apart, I thought the best thing for the country is to hold elections as soon as possible," he told the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

"Snap elections. If possible, we'll go to the people in February."

Israeli Army Radio said Sharon would opt for a February 28 ballot. There were no immediate comments from Sharon's spokesmen.

Amir Peretz, who ousted Shimon Peres as Labour leader last week, has called for a parliamentary vote in March and was expected to tell Sharon Labour had effectively quit his coalition.

Elections are due in November next year. Labour's departure would cause Sharon to lose his majority.

The leftist Labour Party joined Sharon's right-wing Government to push forward Israel's Gaza pullout, which it completed in September, as well as peace talks with the Palestinians.

"Snap elections would prevent a political freeze," Sharon told Yedioth Ahronoth. "We must ensure that 2006 will not turn into a lost year with regard to the political process and to the effort to reach an agreement with the Palestinians."

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said on Wednesday that Sharon had agreed with him that the ballot should be brought forward because of the Government crisis.

Shalom met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Tunis that day to push forward talks between the sides, which Sharon has said he will not renew until Abbas disarms gunmen. The Palestinian leader says this would lead to civil war.

Peretz, 53, shares Peres' dovish views on Israel's conflict with the Palestinians, but his call to restore social welfare policies and reverse reforms favoured by investors have rattled Israeli markets that only recently pulled out of recession.

Opinion polls show Peretz's toppling of Peres has given Labour a lift but not enough to unseat Sharon as Prime Minister.

- REUTERS