JERUSALEM, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, whose popularity has plummeted since a war on Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, wants to broaden his government to avoid a possible early election, an official and reports said on Tuesday. A leading candidate to join the government is a right-wing party headed by Avigdor Lieberman, a Russian immigrant who has adopted a tough stance on Israel's conflict with the Palestinians. Miri Eisen, a spokeswoman for Olmert, confirmed the premier was negotiating with Lieberman. She said Olmert "has expressed extensively that he would like to widen the coalition". Israel Radio said Olmert told members of his centrist Kadima party that he hoped to clinch a deal for a wider government to achieve greater political stability "as soon as possible". The Ynet and Maariv news Web sites said Olmert had set a target of broadening the government before parliament reconvenes for its session next week. They quoted him as saying he would show rivals "that (new) elections are not close at hand". But Olmert's bid could trigger a coalition crisis with the leftist Labour party, his senior ruling partner headed by Defence Minister Amir Peretz, whose supporters may object to including Lieberman in the government's ranks. Olmert, whose party has 29 seats in the 120-member parliament, needs Labour's 19, and another 19 held by two smaller parties for a majority. Lieberman's party holds 11 seats. A poll in the Haaretz newspaper last month showed public approval ratings for Olmert had sunk to a new low of 22 percent last month, down from 48 percent six months earlier after he won a national election. Many in Israel have criticised Olmert's failure to crush Hezbollah, which rained 4,000 rockets on the Jewish state during a 34-day war in which 1,200 Lebanese and 157 Israelis were killed. It ended with an Aug. 14 ceasefire.
