After Yair Lapid consulted with him before deciding to enter politics, it was Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni's turn to meet with former prime minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday to discuss the upcoming Kadima party primary elections. Livni's party rival, MK Shaul Mofaz, also met with Olmert at the beginning of the week. Sources close to Mofaz said that declarations made by Livni's people - that her meeting with Olmert was for the purposes of inviting Lapid to Kadima - were spin. As far as is known, the Lapid issue never arose in the meeting. Despite the legal proceedings against him, Olmert remains a key figure in Kadima who is sought out for advice by current party members. The meeting with Livni took place in his Tel Aviv office and was pre-scheduled. Olmert told her he had no intention of getting involved in the primaries. Get the Israel Hayom newsletter sent to your mailbox! Meanwhile, seeking to squelch speculation regarding his political future, Lapid wrote on his Facebook page Thursday night: "Something apparently needs clarifying: there is no chance that I will join Kadima. It is a group of cynical politicians who were discharged from other parties and no one has a clue what they believe in if anything and there is no way or scenario that would lead me to join them. Is that clear enough-" Labor leader MK Shelly Yachimovich criticized the meeting with "defendant Olmert," saying, "this substandard behavior makes a mockery of the efforts made by law enforcement institutions to bring justice to light." Responding to Yachimovich, MK Yoel Hasson (Kadima) said, "Yachimovitch's words expose her hypocrisy. She preaches morality to Olmert, who has not been convicted, while Salah Tarif, who was convicted of criminal acts, was a senior member of her staff." Tarif is a former MK who was convicted of bribery, fraud and breach of trust - crimes involving moral turpitude. Lapid also wrote about Yachimovich on Facebook: "Shelly belongs to the radical Left politically and economically and I really do respect that, it is her right, but I'm not there and I cannot be in a place where I don't believe in the principles." Meanwhile, the candidates for Kadima leadership continue to organize their election bureaus ahead of the primaries on March 27. Current Kadima leader Livni held her first campaign meeting at her home in Ramat Hahayal on Thursday. Livni is beginning the race with a certain advantage because she is the one who determined the date for the primaries. Present at the meeting were her chief of staff, Amir Lubin; advertising guru and political strategist Reuven Adler; media consultant Moshe Debby and other MKs who support her. Also in attendance were Kadima Council Chairman Haim Ramon and former MK Tzahi Hanegbi. Some 1,400 activists have already been enlisted. Her staff headquarters will be located in Tel Aviv. In addition, former Cabinet Secretary Yisrael Maimon was also at the meeting and will function as a senior member of Livni's staff. Mofaz has rented headquarters in Yehud (near Ben-Gurion International Airport) along with the services of strategic adviser Lior Horev. Horev and his partner Eyal Arad were Livni's campaign advisers during Kadima's previous primary elections, when she narrowly defeated Mofaz. Also joining Mofaz are ad man David Merhav and from the Peer & Levin media consulting agency: consultants Eitan Levin, Mammi Peer and Gur Motolla. Chief of staff for Mofaz will be Avi Duan, who will be sworn in as a member of Knesset for Kadima next week.
Like our newsletter? 'Like' our Facebook page!
X
שיתוף כתבה
Battle lines are drawn ahead of Kadima's internal elections
As the upcoming Kadima primary elections kick into gear, Livni and Mofaz meet with a former prime minister • Olmert: I won't get involved • Yachimovich: A mockery of the rule of law • Yair Lapid clears the air on Facebook: "No chance I will join Kadima."