Olmert authorizes Kadima primaries - but quickly

Kadima primaries will replace Olmert with Livni unless he persuades her to retract. Oddly enough, Olmert authorized primaries even though he is nowhere close to being indicted, let alone convicted.
It is rather unlikely that Olmert suffered a failure of nerves and decided to step down. One option is that he expects to devastate Morris Talansky on (or before) the July 17 cross-examination. With threat of indictment thus dismissed, primaries would no longer be required.
Two, Olmert might be dragging the things. Until the primaries, he can invade Gaza, attack Iran, and do other things which would make the election campaign impossible. He can also try garnering the left’s support for speeding up the Jewish national game of collective suicide, the peace process.
The hint seems to be in Olmert’s instruction to Hanegbi to prepare the primaries “quickly.” What does he mean by that, we don’t know yet.
Olmert’s approval of the primaries bought him a tactical respite: Barak withdrew the Labor’s support for the petition to disperse the current Knesset, which would have forced new elections in November. For Barak, the Kadima primaries are a face-saving measure: he does not support Olmert and is all for change, but there is no need for the elections because Olmert will step down after the primaries.