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1st Lead: Israel's Sharon to Quit Ruling Likud Party: Radio

Posted on: Monday, 21 November 2005, 09:00 CST

1st lead: Israel's Sharon to quit ruling Likud party: radio Eds: Updates with details

JERUSALEM, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- After holding talks with his top aides, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has decided to leave his Likud party and set up a new party for upcoming general elections, Army Radio reported Sunday.

Unidentified party sources was quoted as saying that "a political earthquake is on the way" as Sharon has made a dramatic and unequivocal decision to leave the Likud."

Meanwhile, Sharon will also announce to ask for the country's president to dissolve the parliament to pave the way for early elections, said the radio.

It revealed that Sharon has already begun contacting political allies to join a new party he would head.

Earlier in the day, the Labor Party voted to quit the government led by Sharon, which will cost Sharon a majority in parliament and make early elections inevitable.

The leftist Labor Party joined the Likud-led coalition government to give Sharon a boost for his disengagement plan, under which Israel completed its withdrawal of soldiers and some 8,500 settlers from all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip in mid- September, ending 38 years of occupation.

Amir Peretz was elected Labor Party new leader on Nov. 9, promising to withdraw from Sharon's government and resuming peace talks with the Palestinians.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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