Peres ponders party switch

JERUSALEM— Israeli elder statesman Shimon Peres may leave the Labour party that ousted him as its leader and join Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s new centrist movement.

Speaking to reporters during a trip to Barcelona, Peres, 82, said yesterday he would announce his decision about his political future after he returned to Israel, without giving a specific time.

“ In my eyes, it’s not a problem of parties but a problem of peace — how to create a strong coalition for peace,” said Peres, a former prime minister and Nobel peace laureate.

Israeli media reports said Sharon had offered Peres the job of peace envoy if the prime minister’s new Kadima party wins a March 28 election.