Peres prepared to hold consultations with parties right after PM's resignation

President Shimon Peres plans to hold marathon consultations with Knesset factions on Thursday after he receives the expected resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

It is not a foregone conclusion that the winner of Wednesday's Kadima leadership primary will be the next prime minister. The president must consult with all Knesset factions and on the basis of their recommendations, he will decide who would be the MK most able to form a new government.

Although there is a strong likelihood Peres will tap the new Kadima chairman for this task, it will depend on that person's popularity within the Knesset. If Olmert's successor in Kadima does not seem to have the support of the Knesset, he or she may not succeed him in the Prime Minister's Office.

Because Peres is leaving in a few days to represent Israel at the UN General Assembly, the usual seven-day period for consultations will be reduced to two-and-a-half, after which Peres will call in the MK of his choice and ask him or her to form a government within 28 days. Peres can later give the prime minister-designate a 14-day extension.

If, after that period, the MK fails to form a government, the president has two options - hold another round of consultations and choose another MK for the mission or report to Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik that the person he had chosen had been unsuccessful. This latter option would lead to even more political complications and instability.

The feeling at Beit Hanassi on Sunday evening was that the president's first choice will be able to cobble together a coalition.

Meanwhile, Peres met on Sunday morning with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos, who said that he had detected a strong willingness on the Palestinians' part to reach a permanent solution to their conflict with Israel.

Peres, who of late has been talking about the emotional aspects of resolving not only this conflict but also the conflict with Syria, reiterated these views to Moratinos. The latter was optimistic that President Bashar Assad might be helpful in this regard, not out of any desire to mend fences with Israel, but because Syria wants to have normal relations with the West.

Peres asked Moratinos to ask Syria to help secure the release of abducted soldier Gilad Schalit, who is being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Moratinos agreed to do so.