TEL AVIV, May 31: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon bought more time to bolster support for his Gaza pullout plan on Monday when he withdrew from a debate in parliament on his project a day after postponing a cabinet vote.

Opposition parties accused Mr Sharon of "running scared" for backing out of the debate and withdrew two no-confidence motions in his government as an act of protest. "He ran away, he ran away," said the main opposition Labour party's leader in parliament, Dalia Itzik, as she withdrew one of the motions.

Public radio said that Mr Sharon had asked the speaker of parliament, Reuven Rivlin, for the delay as he feared he lacked a majority in parliament in any vote on a new version of his disengagement plan, which was rejected in its original form by members of his right-wing Likud party in a ballot a month ago.

Mr Sharon was forced on Sunday to shelve a cabinet vote on the Gaza plan after failing to secure a majority among his ministers. -AFP