SHARON AT DEATH'S DOOR

ARIEL SHARON IS FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE AFTER SUFFERING ANOTHER STROKE, THIS TIME A MASSIVE ONE. IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD FOR HIM.

OLMERT IS IN CHARGE, SHARON'S IN SURGERY, AND THIS SPRING'S ELECTIONS ARE UP IN THE AIR.

PM suffers serious stroke, cerebral hemorrhaging (JPost)
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a serious stroke and had been anesthetized, the director general of Hadassah Ein Karem hospital in Jerusalem said late Wednesday.

The prime minister was reportedly in serious condition and was suffering from cerebral hemorrhaging. He is currently undergoing emergency neurosurgery in an effort to stop internal bleeding in his brain.

A short while after 1 a.m., Sharon's personal physician, Dr. Shlomo Segev told reporters, "PM is in surgery; the surgery is going as planned. We need to be patient. I have nothing else to add."
PM Spokesman Raanan Gissin said, "Once the operation ends, the public will be notified. Until then, I suggest not to engage in speculation."

According to a medical expert, the procedure is life threatening. Asked what are the chances of surviving this type of surgery, the doctor replied, "Let's be optimistic, some people survive it."
The prime minister's close associates said of his condition: "Hope for a miracle."

Justice Ministry spokesman Ya'acov Galant said that a prime minister legally remains in his post only as long as he is capable of making decisions. Since Sharon is not conscious after suffering from what doctors termed "a serious stroke," his powers and prerogatives were transferred to his deputy, Finance Minister Ehud Olmert.