Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, left, gestures toward Vice Premier Shimon Peres, right, at a meeting today of the Kadima party at the Knesset, Israel's Parliament. Olmert's Kadima party nominated Peres to be its candidate for the presidency, which will be decided by lawmakers June 13.

JERUSALEM — Vice Premier Shimon Peres announced his candidacy Wednesday for president of Israel, an office tarnished by rape and other sexual misconduct charges against its current occupant, Moshe Katsav.

Peres, 83, is Israel's elder statesman, and the presidency would cap 60 years of public service at the highest levels. He ran for president seven years ago, but in a secret ballot, parliament gave the post to Katsav, a junior politician who enjoyed the support of a prominent Israeli spiritual leader.

"This may be my last chance to serve the country," Peres said after his Kadima Party endorsed him for the June 13 race. The term is for seven years.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged his support for Peres, saying he would be a perfect fit. The ceremonial post is traditionally filled by Zionist legends and revered statesmen but has lost esteem because of the allegations against Katsav.

A member of parliament since 1959, Peres has held a succession of senior posts, including the premiership, and minister of defense, finance and foreign affairs. He is held in high regard abroad, and shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.