The Livni camp is doing its utmost to prepare for the ‘day after’ the primary election, confident that she will emerge the next leader of the Kadima Party.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has committed to step down immediately following the election of a new party leader in Wednesday’s race, but not everyone believes he will. In actuality, the law permits him to remain in office until elections.

Nevertheless, aides to Livni are signaling that she plans to assume the role of prime minister immediately if she is the new party leader, and will apply pressure to oust Olmert from office.

While many are uncertain if Livni will succeed in building a coalition government, it appears she is preparing for this eventuality as well, and is willing to present a minority government to the Knesset, seeking the support and backing of the left-wing and Arab parties until national elections.

Some aides to the foreign minister object to such a move, explaining they feel it would hurt Livni’s chances in the national elections against Labor leader Defense Minister Ehud Barak and opposition leader MK Binyamin Netanyahu.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)