Katsav to parties: Elections over

Presidential rebuke: President Moshe Katsav ended with scathing criticism a day of consultations with Kadima, Labor, and Israel Our Home required by law ahead of the formation of a new government.

“The political struggle of parties has ended. There is no need to return to political wrangling. Let them do so later,” the president said in reference to ongoing wrangling among parties ahead of the new coalition's formation.

Speaking to reporters after Sunday's consultations, Katsav clearly hinted at his dissatisfaction with the way the process has been moving so far: “I have a feeling not all understand the essence of consultations.”

In a sign of the confusion surrounding the consultations, the rightist National Union-NRP decided to nominate Labor's Amir Peretz, while the leftist Meretz decided not to support its sister party.

Meretz issued a statement saying the party believes Labor's attempt to create a coalition with the Right in order to circumvent Kadima is humiliating and amounts to deception of the public.

'There's no time for clarifications'

Katsav noted that during Sunday's talks, a Knesset member told him that his faction wants to know the agenda of both candidates before supporting one of them to form a new government. The president answered that parties need to ponder over reality as it is, and recommend a party leader to lead the country.

“There is no time for clarifications. I wish parties won’t see in consultations a tool for improving their bargaining. I expect their positions won’t be for the sake of coalition talks,” Katsav said.

Earlier Sunday, Labor party Secretary-General Eitan Cabel said party representatives recommended to President Moshe Katsav that Chairman Amir Peretz form the new government.

Cabel added that there is more than one alternative to forming a coalition and that the Labor is looking to form an "emergency social coalition" headed by Peretz.