Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert might reach the moment of his resignation as early as next week, yet so far there is no much sign indicating that he would relinquish his power that soon.
Meanwhile, his last-minute efforts both on the diplomatic and the domestic fronts have generated speculations that the embattled leader aims to leave his mark in the history during the overtime he is struggling to extend.
Since becoming prime minister in 2006, Olmert has been dogged by multiple police probes against him, and by constant criticism of his conduct during the 2006 war against the Lebanese Hezbollah movement.
Following the outbreaks of two latest scandals, a worn-looking Olmert announced in late July that he would not compete in his ruling Kadima party's primary elections and would step down upon the election of a new party chair. He has also said that he would resign if indicted.
Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert arrives for the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem Sept. 7, 2008. Now on both tracks leading to the end of his premiership, the stranded leader has approached where he is expected to keep his words. The Kadima primary is to be held on Sept. 17, and the police on Sunday advised Attorney-General Menachem Mazuz to indict him.
And apparently, Olmert is much closer to his resignation on the former track, as local media quoted prosecution sources as saying that it would take weeks and even months for Mazuz, who turned down police recommendations in the past to indict a sitting prime minister, to make a final decision.
By law, once resigning from his premiership after the primary, Olmert will become a caretaker prime minister, and his cabinet a caretaker cabinet, which will remain in power until the formation of a new government.
DESPERATE TO MAKE HISTORY DESPITE BEING LAME DUCK
Earlier this week, Mazuz said that the government should show restraint under the unusual and unique circumstances, in response to a petition from several lawmakers who demand the attorney general instruct Olmert to refrain from taking diplomatic or political moves that would bind future governments, according to local daily Ha'aretz.
While stressing that the current government is not a transitional one, Mazuz was quoted as saying that Olmert's imminent resignation will soon make it such, and thus it should weigh the forcefulness with which it implements its policies.
However, Olmert the lame duck has shown no sign of restraint on both external and internal affairs.
On the peace front, since the latest bribery affair embroiling him went public in May, Olmert has repeatedly stressed his commitment to reaching a peace deal with the Palestinians within 2008, kicked off indirect peace talks with Syria, and hinted at his willingness to open talks with Lebanon.
On the domestic front, the prime minister recently brushed off oppositions from his coalition partners the Labor party and the Shas party, and backed the passage of a controversial 2009 budget plan.
During the cabinet meeting Sunday, he also pushed through a controversial bill to curtail the power of the Supreme Court despite objections from all his four possible successors, and tried to open cabinet discussions on a contentious evacuation-compensation bill for Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
Local daily Yedioth Ahronoth on Sunday posted on its web site a commentary titled "Desperate to make history," which quoted an unnamed minister as saying that Olmert's last-minute efforts to leave his mark in the annals of Israeli history is "pathetic."
"Critical negotiations with Syria two months before he's set to leave the Prime Minister's Office? A shelf agreement, or whatever you want to call it, with the Palestinians at this time? ...What does he plan to do? It's simply sad," the minister was quoted as saying last week.
The article said that almost no government member thinks Olmert can advance diplomatic moves in the brief time he has left in office, and that no minister believes these moves would be backed by the parliament.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz and the other two candidates in the Kadima race all have expressed their displeasure with Olmert's hasty moves, which may leave them with a problematic legacy, according to the article.
CHANCES TO EXTEND OVERTIME?
But a "problematic" situation might be exactly what Olmert wants, the Ha'aretz daily quoted senior Kadima sources as saying.
The sources alleged that Olmert's recent initiatives, including the passage of the 2009 budget and the discussion of the evacuation-compensation bill, were aimed to stir discord in the ruling coalition and undermine his successor's chances of putting together a new government.
A maximum of three rounds of cabinet-making efforts would be allowed after Olmert's resignation, which may take from a few days to three months. Should such efforts fail, then early general elections will be held, possibly in the spring. As long as a new government is not formed, Olmert will remain the caretaker prime minister.
Meanwhile, local daily The Jerusalem Post reported Monday that by law, no minister or party may leave a transitional government, which means that even if Olmert is indicted during the care taking period, he would be locked up on his post.
In that scenario, constitutional expert Suzy Navot was quoted as saying that Olmert could declare that he is incapable of governing and suspend himself, and hand over his power to an acting prime minister, a portfolio currently held by Livni.
However, Olmert seemed not that ready to let go, as his associates dashed the hopes held by some Kadima members that Olmert, if indicted, would let the new party chief become prime minister even without forming a government by saying that one resignation was enough to keep his promise, according to the newspaper.
Meanwhile, Olmert's defense team dismissed the police recommendation to indict him as "meaningless," stressing that it could take many months before an indictment, if any, is filed.
Source:Xinhua
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