
Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (l.) announced that Kadima’s senior partner in the government would be Member of Knesset (parliament) Amir Peretz (r.) and his Labor party. Talks between the two parties will begin as soon as President Moshe Katsav declares Olmert as the best candidate to form the next government. Peretz said that he would speed the process and recommend to Katsav that Olmert form the next coalition. The press conference came at the end of a rift between Peretz and Olmert, which began after last week’s national elections.