Under a compromise reached on Tuesday, it was agreed that general elections in Israel will take place on March 28, 2006. Speaker of the Israeli parliament Reuven Rivlin announced the date on Tuesday evening.
The agreement also allows Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to replace the outgoing Labor ministers without approval from the Israeli parliament, the Knesset.
Originally, the Knesset wanted the elections on March 28, but Prime Minister Ariel Sharon wanted to bring the vote forward in order to take advantage of his current popularity.
Sharon met with Israeli President Moshe Katsav on Monday and asked him to dissolve the Knesset.
The Knesset is voting on a bill to dissolve the Knesset on Wednesday afternoon.
Sharon bolted from his Likud party earlier this week and formed a new party – ‘National Responsibility.’ Sharon’s aides say he believes the rifts within the Likud prevented him from functioning as prime minister.
Meanwhile, the Likud party plans to hold internal elections to choose its new leader on December 19.
If none of the candidates receive a minimum of 40 percent of votes, a run-off will be held three days later.