Post by Paddy by Grace on Sept 23, 2008 14:27:28 GMT -7
www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5597
President Shimon Peres entrusts new Kadima leader, foreign minister Tzipi Livni with forming a government Monday night, Sept. 22, at the end of 24 hours of consultations with party representatives in a race against time. He began the round Sunday night after Ehud Olmert tendered his resignation as prime minister to fight corruption charges. Peres later flies to New York to address the UN General Assembly.
Kadima members filed Injunctions during the day charging irregularities and forgeries in the Kadima primary last Wednesday which gave Livni a wafer-thin victory as party chairman over her nearest rival Shaul Mofaz.
Livni faces tough haggling with all the potential coalition candidates in the 42 days allotted her to form a government, including members of the incumbent line-up. If she fails by her Nov. 4 deadline, the 90-day countdown begins for a general election. Political observers say at the moment the foreign minister cannot count on the support of more than 38 Knesset members (out of 120). Her success depends on a deal with defense minister Ehud Barak’s Labor party.
Olmert and the incumbent government must meanwhile stay in place as a caretaker administration – possibly for months.
President Shimon Peres entrusts new Kadima leader, foreign minister Tzipi Livni with forming a government Monday night, Sept. 22, at the end of 24 hours of consultations with party representatives in a race against time. He began the round Sunday night after Ehud Olmert tendered his resignation as prime minister to fight corruption charges. Peres later flies to New York to address the UN General Assembly.
Kadima members filed Injunctions during the day charging irregularities and forgeries in the Kadima primary last Wednesday which gave Livni a wafer-thin victory as party chairman over her nearest rival Shaul Mofaz.
Livni faces tough haggling with all the potential coalition candidates in the 42 days allotted her to form a government, including members of the incumbent line-up. If she fails by her Nov. 4 deadline, the 90-day countdown begins for a general election. Political observers say at the moment the foreign minister cannot count on the support of more than 38 Knesset members (out of 120). Her success depends on a deal with defense minister Ehud Barak’s Labor party.
Olmert and the incumbent government must meanwhile stay in place as a caretaker administration – possibly for months.