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World Jewish News
Labor chairman Barak seeking to whip party 'rebels' into line
16.04.2009
Labor Party chairman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak intends to impose sanctions on MKs who violate coalition discipline, sources close to Barak said Wednesday.
The sanctions are said to include being barred from submitting bills and losing the right to address the plenum.
Five lawmakers who opposed Labor joining the coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - Eitan Cabel, Shelly Yachimovich, Yuli Tamir and Amir Peretz - have already signaled to Barak in two important votes that they are not bound by his decisions. All five abstained from the vote approving the new government and all except for Yachimovish, who voted in favor, abstained from the vote on the biennial state budget.
None of the five "rebel" MKs agreed to accept any additional parliamentary or ministerial positions, and they have been heard saying openly that they have lost their faith in Barak.
If any sanctions are imposed, it will be the job of the new party whip, MK Daniel Ben Simon, to do so. Ben Simon initally sided with the five rebels but realigned himself with Barak after the Labor central committee approved the party's entry into the coalition.
Barak is also said to be planning to amend the party bylaws so as to increase the authority of the chairman. This could include getting rid of the position of party secretary general, a post presently occupied by Cabel.
Barak want to replace the secretary general with an administrative director position.
He also seeks to abolish some of the party's judicial institutions including the party tribunal, the appeals arbitration body and the party affairs committee.
By Mazal Mualem
Источник: Haaretz
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