JERUSALEM, Nov. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Amir Peretz, newly-elected chairman of Israel's Labor party, will urge Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to call national elections early next year, well-informed sources said on Friday.

    Peretz will propose to Sharon to advance elections as early as to March, local newspaper Ha'aretz quoted the sources as saying.

    Meanwhile, Sharon is expected to decide by the end of this month whether he will stay in the ruling Likud party or quit it and form a new party.

    Peretz and Sharon are due to meet next week to decide on early national elections and some other issues, the sources added.

    On Thursday, Peretz revealed that he would work on removing Labor from the Sharon-led coalition government by the end of this year.

    At the same time, sources close to Sharon said it was clear that elections would be held earlier than in November 2006 as originally scheduled, but added that no decision has been made yet.

    Peretz will convene Labor's Knesset (Parliament) members atparty headquarters in Tel Aviv on Friday and declare his plan to quit the government and prepare for early elections.

    The 53-year-old Peretz won the Labor leadership race on Wednesday. Enditem