JERUSALEM, Dec 20: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon left hospital on Tuesday after his recent stroke, declaring himself fit for a looming election contest which will pit him against his arch rival Benjamin Netanyahu.

Sharon was admitted to hospital after suffering a stroke on Sunday evening while being driven from his official residence in Jerusalem to his ranch in the southern Negev desert, raising doubts about his long-term future ahead of a March 28 general election.

But he told reporters that he was in a rush to return to work as he left the Hadassah hospital and then phoned Netanyahu to congratulate him on being elected leader of the premier’s former Likud party.

“I must hurry to return to work so that we can move forwards,” said a weary-looking but smiling Sharon in a play on words on the name of his new Kadima party, which means ‘forwards’ in Hebrew.

His office said that Sharon had later contacted Netanyahu ‘in order to congratulate him on winning yesterday’s Likud primaries and to thank him for his get-well wishes’.

Despite giving Sharon a generally clean bill of health, doctors said that they still needed to keep an eye on him.—AFP