JERUSALEM, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Israeli President
Shimon Peres began on Wednesday evening his consultations with Knesset
(parliament) factions ahead of selecting the next premiership candidate, and met
with a Kadima delegation.
The meeting came shortly after Peres was presented
with the official results of last week's general election from the Central
Election Committee (CEC).
Upon being presented with the results by the CEC
chairman, Supreme Court Justice Eliezer Rivlin, Peres told the committee members
that he was certain "a blessed partnership" would be formed, expressing his
confidence that Israeli leaders would have the country's best interests in mind
throughout the process.
After the Kadima meeting, the president will then
consult with a Likud delegation, in order to decide whether to charge Likud
leader Binyamin Netanyahu or Foreign Minister and Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni
with the task of building a coalition.
Final results of Israel's parliamentary election on
Thursday delivered a slim majority of the centrist party Kadima over its main
rival center-right party Likud.
The final tally, released by CEC, confirmed that
Kadima secured 28 seats in the Knesset election, while Likud took 27 seats in
the 120-member parliament.
However, altogether, right-wing bloc led by Likud
secured 65 seats, enjoying a clear superiority over the center-left bloc led by
Kadima.
On Thursday, Peres is expected to meet with several
factions, including Balad, Yisrael Beiteinu, Shas, Labor, Hadash, National Union
and United Torah Judaism.
The consultations with all the 12 Knesset factions
will end on Friday after Peres meets with representatives of Meretz and Habayit
Hayehudi.
Following the consultations, Peres will summon either
Livni or Netanyahu to his office and task one of them with forming the new
government.
By Israel's basic laws, the first premier-designate
has at most 42 days to form a new government. Should the process fail, the
president may entrust the task to a second lawmaker, who then has 28 days to
finish the mission. In case of another failure, a third lawmaker might be tasked
with a 14-day time limit.
In light of the right-wing bloc's majority, Netanyahu
appears to face a brighter cabinet-making picture than Livni.
Late last year, Livni failed to piece together a
cabinet to replace the caretaker one led by Ehud Olmert, bringing forth the
general election a year ahead of its original schedule.
Until the new government is formed, Olmert, who was
forced to resign amid a corruption scandal, will remain in
office.
JERUSALEM, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Israeli security
cabinet decided unanimously Wednesday not to accept a ceasefire in the
Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip before kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is
released.
In doing so, the security cabinet accepted the
position of outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said local daily The
Jerusalem Post.Full story
JERUSALEM, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Final results of Israel's
parliamentary election on Thursday delivered a slim majority of the centrist
party Kadima led by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni over its main rival
center-right Likud Party.
The final tally, released by Israel's Central
Elections Committee at a press conference in Jerusalem, confirmed that Kadima
secured 28 seats in the Knesset (parliament) election, while Likud party led by
Benjamin Netanyahu took 27 seats in the 120-member parliament. Full story
JERUSALEM, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Following Tuesday's
parliamentary election which leaves two of its main contenders neck-to-neck, the
prospect of an Israeli coalition government remains anything but clear, analysts
said on Wednesday. Full story
