The central committee of Israel's right-wing Likud party meets Tuesday evening to decide on the procedure for electing its leader next week ahead of the upcoming elections, reported the Israeli Haaretz newspaper.
The paper said that the central committee will have to decide what to do in the event that former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu wins the primary, but is unable to run because of a clause in the direct election bill, which bars non-Knesset members from running in elections that are held only for prime minister.
Haaretz quoted Israel Radio as saying that according to a proposal to be brought before the party, if Netanyahu is unable to run, then the person who places second in the internal primary will automatically become the Likud's candidate for prime minister.
The army radio reported, however, that Netanyahu wants party members to be given two ballot options.
In the first option, they will vote based on the assumption that Netanyahu is able to run, and the second will be in the eventuality he is barred from the race for prime minister.
Likud leader Ariel Sharon has reportedly opposed the idea, said the paper.
Netanyahu announced Sunday in Jerusalem that he would run for the party's leadership, and for the premiership following the resignation of prime minister Ehud Barak.
Netanyahu quit the Knesset following Barak's win in the May 1999 elections -- Albawaba.com
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
