Barak says he will decide on coalition partners in his own way RELATED VIDEO To view the latest video streams on the Israeli elections, use the arrow buttons below to scroll through the video gallery.        Windows Media Real        28 K 80 K  ALSO: Israeli Arab woman slips into parliament Israel's Barak holds to Lebanon promise Lebanese PM sees little peace progress with Barak  ISRAEL ELECTIONS: Knesset One Israel - 26 seats Likud - 19 seats Shas - 17 seats Meretz - 10 seats Center - 6 seats Shinui - 6 seats Yisrael B'Aliya - 6 seats National Religious Party - 5 seats United Arab List - 5 seats United Torah Judaism - 5 seats National Union - 4 seats Yisrael Beiteinu - 4 seats Hadash - 3 seats Am Ehad - 2 seats Balad - 2 seats Source: Israel Central Election Commission  IMAGE GALLERY: A landslide onto shaky ground  IN-DEPTH SPECIAL: Israeli elections

May 20, 1999
Web posted at: 10:56 a.m. EDT (1456 GMT)

TEL AVIV, Israel (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak is considering retaining right-wing Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon in his new government, his aides tell CNN.

Keeping Sharon may be the price Barak has to pay to bring the opposition Likud, the second-largest party in the Knesset, into his coalition government.

In addition, Labor Party leader Barak, a former general, reportedly plans to keep the defense minister's job for himself.

Barak, who met with members of his One Israel alliance Thursday, said he would decide on coalition partners in "my own way." He said reports about which parties might be in his government were only speculation.

"No one talks for me and I'm not talking about it so it is all speculation," he said.

However, Barak has said no deals have been made and signaled he will not engage in heavy negotiations to form the broad-based government he wants.

"I will present my basic guidelines and whoever wants to join -- their wish will be given serious consideration," Barak told the newspaper Haaretz.

Including Sharon in the government would likely raise fears among Palestinian and Syrian leaders as well as U.S. President Bill Clinton about the peace process.

But aides said even with Sharon in the foreign minister's post, it will be Barak who sets the pace and the tone for the peace process.

In addition, they point out that the two ex-military men have had a long-standing relationship. Sharon, 71, supported the Wye River memorandum with the Palestinians and is said to be eager to improve his reputation and that of the Likud Party, which was hammered in Monday's elections.

Bringing in the Likud, political observers said, is a double-edged sword. Having Likud means that Barak would probably not have to deal with Shas, the ultra-religious party that is third in size in the Knesset. But it would also mean he is bringing in a party that could ultimately cause him trouble and bring down his government.

After more than 160,000 ballots from soldiers, overseas diplomats, prisoners, and hospitalized voters were counted Wednesday, One Israel ended up with 26 seats in the 120-member Knesset.

Barak's options include putting together a narrow coalition with the minimum 61 seats he would need, or he could go for a broader coalition that would give him not only more votes but more backing for his negotiations on peace with the Palestinians.

"I do believe the wider the base, the widest support for the coalition possible, is good," said Avraham Burg, a Barak aide who was elected to the Knesset on the One Israel slate.