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Israeli Radio: Sharon Formally Quits Likud, Forms New Party
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=FDC2B2:3919ACA Earlier, prime
minister met with President Moshe Katsav and asked him to dissolve
parliament, call early election Israeli radio says Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon has formally quit the Likud Party he helped found more
than 30 years ago.

The report says Mr. Sharon sent a letter to the party chairman Monday
saying that he was resigning from Likud and forming a new National
Responsibility Party.







Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, left, meets Israeli President
Moshe Katsav in Jerusalem MondayEarlier, Mr. Sharon met with President
Moshe Katsav and asked him to dissolve parliament and call an early
election.

After the meeting, the president said he believed the election should
be held as early as possible. Israeli media say a new vote is likely
to be held in March.

Mr. Sharon faced strong opposition from hard-liners within Likud for
his moves to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank.
The hard-liners had championed the expansion of Jewish settlements in
the land occupied in the 1967 war.

The developments come after the moderate Labor Party voted Sunday to
quit Mr. Sharon's coalition government.

Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.


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