( dpa ) - Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert, despite feeling the pressure ahead of a crucial report on his conduct of the war with Hezbollah in the summer of 2006, has no intention of calling early elections, Israeli media reported Tuesday citing a source close to the premier.
Olmert himself has ruled out submitting his resignation even if the so-called Winograd report, to be published Wednesday, sharply criticises the way he handled the war. On Monday he said his Kadima party would remain in power a long time.
But the media reports said a crucial factor would be the actions of Defence Minister Ehud Barak, who heads the Labour Party, the largest coalition partner with 19 seats in the Knesseth.
If Barak were to quit the coalition with its 67 seats in the 120- seat Knesseth, then Olmert would lose his ruling majority.
Barak last year said his party would quit the coalition if Olmert did not decide to build a new coalition or call new elections by the time the report is published.
Lately Barak has only said he now wanted to await the findings of the Winograd report before deciding.
The Winograd commission in an interim report last April 30 expressed massive criticism of Olmert and former defence minister Amir Perez, saying they had made "serious mistakes" in the conduct of the war.
In the wake of that criticism, Perez and then military chief of staf Dan Haluz stepped down.