Background / Who would take over from Ariel Sharon?

[IndianaGreen]

The latest news is that Sharon is fine, he suffered a temporary loss of motor movements, but he is now alert and receiving visitors. A speedy recovery!

This article was published earlier today when no one knew what Sharon's condition was:

Background / Who would take over from Ariel Sharon?

By Gideon Alon, Haaretz Correspondent

In the event that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is unable, for health reasons, to continue running the affairs of the state over a period of days or weeks, Finance Minister Ehud Olmert, who also serves as deputy prime minister, would need to step in.

As interim prime minister, Olmert would be authorized by law to exercise all the powers granted to the prime minister for a period of 100 days, at the end of which the serving prime minister would technically be viewed as having resigned his post, triggering the resignation of the entire government.

At the end of the 100-day period, the Basic Law on The Government mandates that the president begin the process of forming a new government. In light of the fact that elections for the 17th Knesset are scheduled for March 28 (100 days from Sunday), there's no need for the president to begin such a process.

Following the elections, the president would ask the MK leading the party with the best chance of forming a stable coalition to put together the next government.

Sharon's condition will have no effect on the date set for the general elections, unless it suddenly deteriorates or he dies. The Knesset is allowed to postpone the elections by an 80-MK majority vote "if special circumstances occur which prevent holding elections on their planned date."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/659329.html