Wednesday, November 23 2005 14:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jerusalem: Israel's President and Parliament agreed on March 28 as a date for general elections, but need to iron of some procedural issues before the decision becomes final, officials said today (Nov 23, 2005) .

Israeli President Moshe Katsav and Parliament Speaker Reuven Rivlin were meeting at the president's residence this morning to wrap up a deal, said Parliament spokesman Giora Pordes.

The agreement kicks off a campaign centering on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's new centrist party and its potential to shake the Israeli political structure to its foundations.

A March election would come eight months ahead of schedule. The election was forced by a rebellion in Sharon's Likud over his Gaza withdrawal and a decision by his coalition partner, the moderate Labor Party, to leave the Government.

Earlier this week, Sharon quit Likud, the party he helped found in 1973 and opened the possibility of the first major political realignment since 1977, when Likud rose to power for the first time.

For decades, Israel's body politic has been split almost evenly between those who favor concessions for peace with the Palestinians and those who oppose them. Sharon, leader of the hard-liners, suddenly broke with Likud's hawkish ideology with the Gaza pullout this summer. A good showing by Sharon's party, combined with increased support for the traditionally dovish Labor, could break the longstanding stalemate.

Newspaper polls predicted that Sharon's party would win the election, with a rejuvenated Labor Party placing second and the remainder of Likud far behind.