Coalition game gets under way
(VIDEO) Coalition countdown starts Thursday: President Katsav tasks Kadima's Ehud Olmert with forming new governing coalition; Olmert must present new government within 28 days; Kadima wants 84-member coalition
(VIDEO) Coalition countdown starts Thursday: President Moshe Katsav officially tasked Acting Prime Minister and Kadima leader Ehud Olmert with forming the government.
In a press conference shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday, Katsav said parties totaling 78 Knesset members recommended Olmert to the post of PM and noted no other candidate emerged. The president said he was hopeful the new government would be able to address the challenges faced by Israel at this time.
Video: Eddie Boy
"During the week I engaged in consultations with the factions in order to hear who I should task with forming the government," Katsav said. "78 Knesset members suggested that I task Ehud Olmert from the Kadima faction with forming the government. No other candidate was recommended, and I'm honored to announce here that I decided to task Olmert with the job," Katsav said.
The president commended Olmert for announcing he does not disqualify any part yfrom joining the coalition, and said he sensed the country is yearning for a broad, stable government.
Meanwhile, Olmert thanked the president and said he would do his best to conclude the formation of the coalition as soon as possible.
The Kadima leader also noted recent history showed how difficult it is to form a broad coalition that would survive an entire term.
"I will very much try to ensure the formation process is calm," Olmert said, adding he would make an effort not to create rifts.
"I will not agree for a disqualification of any party," Olmert confirmed, but noted that "of course, there must be a common basis" for a coalition to be formed.
Within 28 days, Olmert has to present a new government, but he can ask for a 14-day extension should he fail to come up with a new coalition within a month. If the mission is still not completed following the extension, the president will task another Knesset member with forming a coalition.
Only once negotiations on adding all coalition partners end, apparently sometimes after Passover, would the tense puzzle of appointing ministers get underway.
Meanwhile, Olmert aspires to form a broad 84-member governing coalition, which will allow him to maintain a stable government and forego the need for early elections. According to Olmert's associates, the coalition will include Kadima, Labor, Shas, Israel Our Home, the Pensioners, and United Torah Judaism.
In such case, the government will include 26 members with the various parties receiving about one ministerial post per three Knesset seats or so.
Although it is still too early to discuss personal appointments, which are only expected to be designated following Passover, behind the scenes the battle for the various portfolios is already under way.
Estimate: Peretz defense minister, Hirchson finance minister
The top three portfolios are not under dispute: Olmert will apparently be Israel’s next prime minister; Tzipi Livni is expected to be appointed deputy prime minister and foreign minister; Shimon Peres will be named vice prime minister and regional development minister, overseeing the Negev and Galilee portfolio.
The defense portfolio will apparently go to Labor head Amir Peretz; the possibility that he may still receive the Finance Ministry instead seems slim at this point, as Olmert believes the portfolio is pertinent to governmental control and should therefore remain in Kadima’s hands.
In case Peretz is in fact named defense minister, Avraham Hirchson is Olmert’s preferred candidate for the Finance Ministry, despite the fact that Meir Sheetrit covets the position as well. Another possible scenario is that Labor’s Avishay Braverman will be named a second minister in the finance ministry, as was the case in Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s government, when Sheetrit served in the same capacity under Benjamin Netanyahu.
What about Mofaz?
Assuming Peretz is appointed defense minister, Olmert will have to deal with finding an appropriate position for current Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, who has proven his loyalty to Kadima from the moment he defected from Likud, about two weeks after his colleagues.
While Mofaz is more than qualified for heading the Internal Security Ministry, it seems that Olmert has designated Avi Dichter, who shined in Kadima’s election campaign, for the post. And then, of course, there is Israel Our Home Chairman Avigdor Lieberman, who has stated on numerous occasions that he wants the ministry for himself.
“This is a major problem,” an Olmert aide said. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
