Sharon's prospective new cabinet

The Jerusalem Post ^ | 25 February 2003 | THE JERUSALEM POST INTERNET STAFF THE JERUSALEM POST INTERNET STAF

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Feb. 25, 2003
Sharon's prospective new cabinet
By THE JERUSALEM POST INTERNET STAFF

Assuming the rightist National Union goes ahead with plans to sign a coalition agreement tonight with the Likud, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's new cabinet will have a number of new players with just several top ministers remaining the same.

Binyamin Netanyahu will likely stay on as foreign minister, and Shaul Mofaz will continue as defense minister. Also expected to continue in her post is Education Minister Limor Livnat.

The rest of the lineup is likely to be different, according to media reports.

Ehud Olmert, the former mayor of Jerusalem, is likely to be named finance minister, replacing Silvan Shalom,whose future in the next cabinet appears uncertain. Tsipi Livni appears the favorite for internal security minister, although Dan Naveh and Tzachi Hanegbi are also contestants. One of these would likely get the trade and industry minister.

Yisrael Katz is a key candidate for the agriculture post.

As many as five cabinet posts are expected to go to the centrist Shinui Party, including the justice ministry, to Shinui head Yosef (Tommy) Lapid, interior ministry to Avraham Poraz, infrastructures to Yosef Paritsky, science and technology to Mordechai Zandberg and environment to Yehudit Naot.

The National Religious Party is expected to claim two ministries, with the welfare portfolio going to Zevulun Orlev and housing to Effi Eitam.

National Union would likely get the transport and tourism ministries.

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Tommy Lapid is the leader of Shinui, and a former TV pundit. Avraham Poraz is the former leader of Shinui. He was its sole MK after the party council failed to finalize the merger with Meretz. (Meretz was formed by a merger of Ratz, Mapam, and Shinui.) He recruited Tommy Lapid for the leadership post. Both are avowed secularists. Much of the rest of the list is made up from former Meretz/Ratz members.