Barak resigns as Israeli prime minister

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak announced his resignation on Saturday, apparently pre-empting the Knesset's push for an early general election and opening the door to a vote only for the premiership.

Barak said he would stand for re-election. Under Israeli law, he could be challenged only by current, sitting members of the Knesset -- shutting out former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has consistently led opinion polls in hypothetical races against Barak.

Barak said he would tender his resignation to President Moshe Katsav on Sunday, and the election would take place within 60 days.

CNN Correspondent Jerrold Kessel contributed to this report.

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