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Sunday Morning News

Israeli Prime Minister Barak Resigns

Aired December 10, 2000 - 7:36 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now, onto an Israeli political saga. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak just a few moments ago, you saw it here live here on CNN, tendering his resignation.

It's seen by many as a tactical move and here to explain all of it is CNN's Mike Hanna joining us live from Jerusalem. Hello, Mike.

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, lawyers are certainly busy in the United States and they're exceedingly busy, too, here in Israel. They're going through the constitution -- the country's basic law -- to establish exactly what the constitutional position is at this point.

The way the law stands at the moment, Ehud Barak has formally handed in his resignation as prime minister. That comes into effect within 48 hours. Then in 60 days of this particular time, an election for a prime minister is held. That is on the Tuesday before the end of that 60-day period as it stands at present, Tuesday, February the 6th.

What is not clear at this particular point is whether that will be an election for a prime minister alone or whether it could become a national election for members of the Parliament Knesset. At present, it will be for the prime minister alone.

Third parties, and the opposition party in particular, seeking ways in which to turn it into a national election. There are a number of ways they believe this could be achieved and they are exploring all of these avenues. The significance of all of this is who will actually stand in the election for prime minister.

At present the leading contender in the public opinion polls, former prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, cannot take part in the prime minister's election because he is not a sitting member of the Parliament. However, if the Parliament dissolves and elections are held for the Parliament on the same day as that for prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu can indeed become a contender for the position of prime minister.

So these legal constitutional issues of Israeli basic law are being sorted out at present. The opposition intent on either bringing a vote of no confidence, which legal advisers to the Knesset indicate may not be possible, or of pushing through a bill which has already been introduced dissolving the country's parliament, Knesset. In terms of that bill the leading advisers have indicated that it is legally possible. In which case elections for parliamentary members will take place on the same day as the election for a prime minister. So a constitutional and political maze at present being waded through here in Israel. And what is at stake here is the leadership of Israel, the prime ministership of Israel, and that is something that will be sorted out in the next 60 days.

I'm Mike Hanna, CNN, reporting live from Jerusalem.

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