Mr Sharon will also have to coddle Mr Peres, perhaps by drawing him into an informal inner cabinet where the important decisions are reached.

ECONOMIST: The coalition conundrum | The

Mr Odinga's Oranges have tried to curry favour with the public by calling for a trimmed-down cabinet, but seem to have been just as complicit in drawing up a bloated list of 40 ministries that was close to being agreed upon.

ECONOMIST: Kenya