Sharon moves to form new nat'l unity govt

Sharon, who has been bereft of a parliamentary majority for the last six months, was given a major boost in Tel Aviv Thursday night when the central committee of his own Likud party finally approved his plans to bring the main opposition Labour faction into government.

After suffering the embarrassment of a defeat in a similar vote back in August, victory by a resounding 1,410 to 857 vote margin was particularly sweet for Sharon.

A source close to the prime minister said Sharon had already phoned veteran Labour leader Shimon Peres to start talks on joining the government.

"Negotiations should begin at the beginning of next week after the Labour leadership gives them the green light Saturday evening," he told AFP.

The source added that Sharon was also Friday to invite the two ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism to join the government.

While Shas, opposed to the withdrawal from Gaza, is likely to stay outside the government, the five deputies of the UTJ are expected to come on board.

The 81-year-old Peres, keen to taste power for possibly one last time, reiterated that he would welcome the opportunity to enter a new coalition in order to ensure the implementation of the so-called disengagement plan.

"We support Ariel Sharon's proposition" to forge a new coalition, he told public radio.

"We hope that this decision represents a step forward in the peace process and we will act to support the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank," added the former premier and Nobel peace prize winner.

Sharon warned ahead of the vote that he would have no option but to call new elections if he was not given room for maneuver to bring about a new coalition.

After losing three coalition partners in little more than six months, Sharon can currently rely on the support of only 40 of the 120 members of the Israeli parliament.

While Labour has been giving him support on votes related to the Gaza pullout, Sharon has been unable to win support for other key policies such as his 2005 state budget.

Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that the formation of a new cabinet "will allow us to bring about significant change".

"The disengagement plan is the key to improving our international position, both politically and economically," he added.