Sep. 21, 2005

Sharon assures supporters he’ll win

By TOVAH LAZAROFF

Undaunted by media accusations of illegal campaign financing and charges that he is working to form a new party, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon continued to insist Tuesday that he was staying in the Likud and that he plans to defeat his rivals.

In a meeting with 120 central committee members in Jerusalem, Sharon said that he intends to defeat MK Binyamin Netanyahu when the Likud on September 26 selects its primary date for party leadership. Netanyahu is urging the party to hold the primary in November, while Sharon is lobbying for a date in April.

"I am here to stay and I will win," Sharon said.

A political adviser for Netanyahu told The Jerusalem Post that he had noticed in Sharon’s statements the absence of a pledge to remain in the party at all costs, and sees this as recognition that he is losing the battle for party leadership.

He reiterated the belief among Netanyahu and his supporters that Sharon is working to form a new party.

"There is a lot of momentum in favor of Netanyahu," he said.

A source close to Sharon told the Post that the option of forming a new party is a speculative one among advisers who were wondering what would happen should Sharon lose.

"There is nothing concrete going on. Sharon wants to win on the 26th," he said, adding that he believes he will do so.

"Sharon was very blunt today in saying, If I lose, it means they want to throw me out of the party and I will have to decide what I will do in the future," said the source.

Working in Sharon’s favor, he said, is the fact that it is not good for the party to put a new leader in place a year before the general elections in November 2006, particularly given that there are no coalition problems.

Central committee members understand that if Netanyahu wants to run for party leader, he can do so in April as well.

"It’s not smart to let Sharon lose now," he said.

Finance Minister Ehud Olmert briefly addressed the issue in speaking to reporters at a chamber of commerce general meeting in Tel Aviv Tuesday when he said, "Sharon is the leader of the Likud." Tourism Minister Avraham Hirchson also said that he knew of no plans on Sharon s part to leave the party.

Among those on the list of central committee members and MKs from whom Sharon is soliciting support is Gila Gamliel, who opposed disengagement and at times has had a number of public harsh exchanges with him at Likud faction meetings.

A spokesman for Gamliel said that she spoke with Netanyahu on Tuesday and planned to speak with Sharon on Wednesday.

Gamliel told the Post that foremost in her mind when casting her vote will be the good of the party.

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