Premier David Ben Gurion submitted to President Chaim Weizmann on Friday, at the latter’s residence in Rahovot, a plan for an enlarged coalition Cabinet which is said to be favored by Dr. Weizmann, it was reliably learned today. Premier Ben Gurion is expected to make an announcement on his plan in the Knesset on Wednesday.
Representatives of the Mapai, majority party in the coalition government, and the Mapam, left Socialist party, expressed optimism today over the negotiations between the two groups for the left-wing party to enter the coalition Cabinet.
Meanwhile, it was learned that a number of problems still remain to be ironed out between the two sides and that a meeting will be held in Jerusalem tomorrow for this purpose. If this session proves satisfactory, the arrangement will be submitted for approval to the Mapam’s political committee. It is expected that a meeting of the Mapam executive will be convened shortly to take final action on the proposal.
Among the matters still open are a number of questions concerning the army and defense questions. It is known that Mapai leaders, including Communications Minister David Remez and Histadrut secretary-general Pinkas Lubianiker, are pressing Mapai circles to make positive concessions and thus heal the split in labor’s ranks.
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