Former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres is thinking about running for his old post in elections to be held in February, the media reported Thursday.
Peres could not stand on the ticket of his Labour party, because the party has already designated caretaker Prime Minister Ehud Barak as its candidate.
However, Peres would be able to stand for election if he gets the backing of 10 MPs from a single party, and public radio reported that he had made contacts with the leftist Meretz party, which has precisely 10 deputies.
The radio said Peres would meet Friday with Meretz party leader Yossi Sarid.
Former Labor party secretary general Nissim Zvili and Peres' former spokeswoman, Behira Berdugo, told both public and army radio that Peres was under intense pressure by MPs and hundreds of Israelis to carry the banner of Israel's peace camp.
Aside from Barak, the other two announced candidates are former Likud premier Benjamin Netanyahu, who needs a change in the law to allow him to stand, and Likud's current leader, Ariel Sharon -- JERUSALEM (AFP)
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