Negotiations between the Kadima and Labor parties leaders broke down Thursday night. Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed optimism that he will form a coalition government before the May 4 deadline, but Kadima threatened to exclude Labor from the government if it does not compromise.
One unnamed official for Kadima, a Hebrew word for "onward," was quoted, "Labor will not be a coalition partner at any price. They need to understand that they do not make the rules of the game." But Labor Knesset Member Ophir Pines retorted, "We must not give the impression that Labor is in Kadima's pocket."
One problem is that the Kadima party does not have a commanding number of Knesset mandates. In order to form a ruling coalition, Kadima will need multiple parties to join the government. Typically, parties which join the government are rewarded with cabinet ministries, but there are only so many ministries that can be distributed.
In Thursday's coalition negotiations, Kadima offered Labor five cabinet portfolios. Labor is insisting on six ministries including the Finance, Education, Justice, and Interior portfolios. Kadima has absolutely refused to give away the Finance Ministry.
Kadima has 29 Knesset seats and needs 61 for a bare ruling majority. Even with the 19-member Labor party and the seven-man delegation from the Pensioners' Party, Olmert lacks six mandates. Kadima sources have suggested Olmert prefers to form a broad coalition that will not leave him so dangerously close to losing a no-confidence vote and being out of power.
Without Labor, Kadima is faced with the prospect of having to depend on the religious Shas and United Torah Judaism parties to round out a coalition with Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beitenu party.
"It would be nice to see Ehud Olmert go to the United States next month with a government without Labor, understanding that Kadima is only linked to extreme-right and ultra-Orthodox groups," said Labor MP Hagai Meron.
The religious parties Thursday night made a new demand by insisting that the government pass a law that would not prohibit rabbis from commenting on matters other than marriages and divorces. The Supreme Court recently ruled that they may not rule on financial matters, even if they are related to a divorce agreement.
Another scenario has the left-wing Meretz delegation of five seats joining the government. However, it will then be difficult to include the religious or Leiberman's party, which may challenge Olmert's plan for further unilateral expulsions.
If the 11-member Yisrael Beitenu becomes part of the coalition, Olmert will need Labor or face a coalition dominated by Lieberman and right-wing oriented religious parties.
One unnamed official for Kadima, a Hebrew word for "onward," was quoted, "Labor will not be a coalition partner at any price. They need to understand that they do not make the rules of the game." But Labor Knesset Member Ophir Pines retorted, "We must not give the impression that Labor is in Kadima's pocket."
One problem is that the Kadima party does not have a commanding number of Knesset mandates. In order to form a ruling coalition, Kadima will need multiple parties to join the government. Typically, parties which join the government are rewarded with cabinet ministries, but there are only so many ministries that can be distributed.
In Thursday's coalition negotiations, Kadima offered Labor five cabinet portfolios. Labor is insisting on six ministries including the Finance, Education, Justice, and Interior portfolios. Kadima has absolutely refused to give away the Finance Ministry.
Kadima has 29 Knesset seats and needs 61 for a bare ruling majority. Even with the 19-member Labor party and the seven-man delegation from the Pensioners' Party, Olmert lacks six mandates. Kadima sources have suggested Olmert prefers to form a broad coalition that will not leave him so dangerously close to losing a no-confidence vote and being out of power.
Without Labor, Kadima is faced with the prospect of having to depend on the religious Shas and United Torah Judaism parties to round out a coalition with Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beitenu party.
"It would be nice to see Ehud Olmert go to the United States next month with a government without Labor, understanding that Kadima is only linked to extreme-right and ultra-Orthodox groups," said Labor MP Hagai Meron.
The religious parties Thursday night made a new demand by insisting that the government pass a law that would not prohibit rabbis from commenting on matters other than marriages and divorces. The Supreme Court recently ruled that they may not rule on financial matters, even if they are related to a divorce agreement.
Another scenario has the left-wing Meretz delegation of five seats joining the government. However, it will then be difficult to include the religious or Leiberman's party, which may challenge Olmert's plan for further unilateral expulsions.
If the 11-member Yisrael Beitenu becomes part of the coalition, Olmert will need Labor or face a coalition dominated by Lieberman and right-wing oriented religious parties.