President Shimon Peres has begun the round of formal consultations with the heads of the Knesset factions that will lead the way to his official request that Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni form the next government.
The president is required by law to meet with the head of each of the 13 factions in the Knesset before formally ordering Livni to attempt to form a new coalition.
Early Monday morning he had already met with Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) faction chairman Robert HaTov to hear his party’s suggestions for a new government. At 9 a.m. he spoke with Knesset Member Uri Ariel, who represented the National Union/National Religious Party.
President Peres is scheduled to meet with left-wing Meretz-Yachad Knesset Member Zahava Gal-On, followed by Pensioners (Gil) party Knesset Member Yitzchak Galanti.
The president will then meet with Knesset Members from the three Arab factions, Ra’am-Ta’al, National Democratic Assembly and Hadash, and the representatives from the Justice for the Elderly and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) factions.
Following the meetings, Peres is expected to ask Foreign Minister Livni to try to form a new government. She will have 42 days in which to accomplish her goal. If she fails, Peres then will be faced with either calling for elections or asking someone else to try and form a new coalition within an additional 28 days. If further efforts also fall short, the president is then mandated to call new elections, which must be held within 90 days.
Meetings with Kadima, Labor, Likud and Shas Held First
Meetings between Peres and representatives of the parties that are members of the current coalition, as well as the largest Opposition party, have already taken place.
Following Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s resignation Sunday night, the president immediately held consultations with the heads of Livni’s Kadima party, as well as with the leaders of Labor, Likud and Shas.
Both Labor and Likud recommended during their respective meetings with Peres that he task each of their chairmen with forming the new coalition. In the case of Labor, there is a legal obstacle since Defense Minister Ehud Barak is not technically a Knesset Member, and thus cannot become prime minister.
Members of Shas announced following their meeting that they had made no recommendations whatsoever as to who should form the next government.