Israel's former Labor leader has threatened to oust his successor Ehud Barak, should he refuse to step down as the party's chairman.

Member of Knesset (Israeli parliament), Amir Peretz -- who led the Labor party during Israel's previous elections in 2006 -- said Defense Minister Ehud Barak needs to resign from his position as Labor chairman, following the party's poor performance in the elections.

"When I led the party in 2006, if I would have gotten 13 seats, I would have quit immediately," Peretz told The Jerusalem Post.

Labor party which won 13 seats in last week's general elections ranks as the fourth party in Knesset. Tzipi Livni's Kadima party (28 seats), Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud (27 seats) and Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu (15 seats), all performed better in the elections.

"We need to take two steps: Set a timetable for choosing a chairman and form an interim leadership team to start the process of rehabilitating the party. Barak certainly cannot do that alone," he added.

Peretz also announced that he would run for the party leadership, saying "I am the only Labor chairman to reach 19 seats in general elections."

Isaac Herzog, Ophir Paz-Pines and Avishay Braverman who are three other candidates next to Barak on the Labor list have not publicly called for Barak's departure.

Peretz concluded that Labor's institutions should be convened as soon as possible to decide that the party would not join any new government, even if it were led by Kadima.

SB/MMN