Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    JERUSALEM, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has decided not to submit his resignation until late September or early October, breaking his promise to resign as soon as his successor is chosen, local daily The Jerusalem Post reported Wednesday.

    Israeli political analyst Yaron Deckel told local TV Channel 1 that Olmert wanted to officially inform his ministers of this decision at Sunday's cabinet meeting, according to The Jerusalem Post.

    Olmert would tender his resignation letter to President Shimon Peres after the latter returns from the UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 28, said the report.

    As the following day is the eve of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year's Day, which would be an inappropriate day for politics, the first possible date for Olmert to submit the letter would be October 2, it added.

    Olmert's spokesman Mark Regev refused to comment on the report, yet reiterated that Olmert would keep his promise to resign after the ruling Kadima party chooses its new chairman to succeed Olmert.

    The leading contenders in the race, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, said Tuesday they did not intend to rush Olmert out of the Prime Minister's Office, said the newspaper.

    By law, once Olmert resigns, he will become caretaker prime minister and remain in power till a new government is formed, a task expected to be assigned to his successor, which would take from weeks to months. Should the cabinet-making efforts fail, early general elections would be held, possibly in the spring.

    Both frontrunners also denied reports that they intended to ask Olmert to declare himself incapable of governing and suspend himself to allow one of them to become prime minister without forming a new government, the report said.

    Olmert's associates have rejected any possibility of suspension, stressing that he would remain caretaker premier until a new coalition is formed, even if this would only happen after a general election.

    Livni and Mofaz have both vowed to form a new government as soon as possible. Mofaz said earlier this week that he would set up a coalition before Rosh Hashana.