Kadima ministers prepare to replace Olmert

Ruling party's four senior ministers – Livni, Mofaz, Dichter and Sheetrit – working hectically below the surface ahead of possible primary elections following potential resignation by prime minister. 'No one wants to be caught with his or her pants down,' source in Kadima says

Kadima ministers are preparing for a possibility of primary elections for the party's leadership, should Prime Minister Ehud Olmert decide to resign following an indictment in the Talansky affair, Ynet had learned in conversations with senior party officials.

A senior aide to Olmert, however, is not surprised and is trying to calm things down. The prime minister is facing a very busy week, which will all be overshadowed by the heavy suspicions against him. US President George W. Bush is expected to land in Israel on Wednesday as part of the State of Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations. This will be Bush's second visit to Israel within a few months, before leaving office at the end of the year.

Additional interrogations are expected in the Talansky case this week, and some suspects may even be confronted in the investigation room. Ynet