Barak threatens to dissolve parliament

Occupied Jerusalem: Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak says his Labour Party will support dissolving Israel's parliament if Prime Minister Ehud Olmert doesn't step aside over his latest corruption scandal.

Olmert's Kadima Party has agreed to start readying for a leadership primary, though no date has been set. But that apparently did not satisfy Barak, who has already threatened to topple Israel's coalition government if the prime minister doesn't step down.

Labour is Kadima's main coalition partner. Olmert's government needs Labour for a majority in parliament.

Barak did not mention Olmert by name on Thursday. He said his first preference would be "governing stability" — meaning he'd like Kadima to replace the prime minister internally rather than go to elections.