¡¡¡¡ Special Report: Israel's general elections

    JERUSALEM, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Israel's centrist Kadima party led by Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert signed a coalition deal with center-left Labor party on Thursday evening.

    The deal, which was clinched after weeks of talks between Kadima and Labor, will pave the way for a new Israeli government to be headed by Olmert after his Kadima won the March 28 parliamentary elections with 29 seats.

    The formal signing ceremony was held Thursday evening after the two major parties finalized the deal at a meeting between Olmert and Labor leader Amir Peretz earlier in the day.

    In addition to the post of defense minister filled by Peretz, and deputy defense ministers, the party was expected to receive the education, agriculture, tourism ministries and two ministries without portfolios.

    Kadima also signed a coalition deal with the Gil Pensioners Party on Wednesday, which has seven seats in the 120-member Knesset (Parliament).

    Thursday's deal with Labor, which controls 19 seats, will secure Olmert 55 seats in the Knesset.

    Kadima was also expected to reach an agreement with the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, which won 12 seats in the election. Shas officials was quoted by the Jerusalem Post as saying that the party was set to be offered the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, the Communications Ministry and a ministry responsible for religious affairs.

    The six-seat ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party is also likely to join Olmert's coalition, which is expected to be in shape by early May.

    Meanwhile, Olmert said Thursday that the Yisrael Beiteinu party was apparently no longer a possible coalition partner, and that he would renew talks with the Meretz if this did prove to be the case, said the newspaper Ha'aretz. Enditem