Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who heads the ruling Kadima party, will ask President Shimon Peres Monday for 14 extra days to finish assembling a new government coalition. The meeting betweeen them is to take place at 11:30 A.M. in the President's residence.
Livni has used up the first 28 days that she was given for the task of putting together a coalition, but thus far has only managed to seal deals with Labor and the splintered Pensioners' faction.
Courting Shas
She continues to woo the second major potential partner, Sephardic hareidi-religious party Shas.
Shas's chairman, Minister Eli Yishai, said Sunday that there are still "meaningful disputes" between Kadima and Shas. The main disagreement, he said, is on "the social issues," in what is taken as a reference to Shas's demands for NIS 1.5 billion in aid for families with numerous children.
"We need a social government," he said, "that will take care of unemployment, senior citizens, single mothers and the disabled. The government needs to change direction completely, not in words but in deeds."
According to Ha'aretz, Shas refuses to compromise on less than NIS 1 billion in payments to needy families in the course of 2009.
Representatives from both parties met Sunday afternoon and reported achieving some progress. They will meet again after the Simchat Torah holiday, either Tuesday evening or Wednesday.