Moving closer to forming next government - Olmert and Peretz
צילום: גיל יוחנן
What will next government look like?
As talks between Kadima, Labor reach final stages, composition of future coalition becomes clear
After the portfolio distribution between the Labor and Kadima parties has been concluded on Saturday, the composition of the next government is beginning to become clear.
According to the current portfolio distribution, and assuming other parties fail to obtain in talks with Kadima a ratio of one portfolio for every 2.5 mandates, as the Labor did, the division between the coalition parties is set to be as follows: Kadima will get seven substantial portfolios, Labor – five (plus two ministers without a portfolio,) Shas and Israel Our Home – three each, United Torah Judaism and the Pensioners Party – one each. In addition, there will be a still undetermined number of ministers without a portfolio.
The ministers on behalf of Kadima will likely be the following:
- Tzipi Livni – Foreign minister and deputy prime minister
- Shimon Peres – Negev region development minister and vice premier
- Abraham Hirchson – Finance minister
- Meir Sheetrit – Leading candidate for interior minister
- Shaul Mofaz – Leading candidate for trade, industry and labor minister
- Ronnie Bar-On – Transportation minister
- Avi Dichter – Internal security minister (in case Israel Our Home does not join the government), or minister in charge of secret services
- Uriel Reichmen – May be offered the post of justice minister. If he decides to quit political life, after the promise given to him by Olmert to become education minister has been broken, the PM may offer the portfolio to Haim Ramon.
- Ze'ev Boim and Dalia Itzik – Battling for the position of Knesset speaker, or a minor portfolio
- Jacob Edery and Gideon Ezra – battling for a minor portfolio
In addition, Tzahi Hanegbi is currently the almost certain candidate for chairing the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
The ministers on behalf of the Labor Party will be the following:
- Amir Peretz – Defense minister
- Yuli Tamir – Education minister
- Shalom Simhon – Agriculture minister
- Yitzhak Herzog, Ofir Pines and Binyamin Ben Eliezer are currently in a battle over the National Infrastructure portfolio
Shas, if it manages to negotiate its way out of the dead end it is currently facing, will probably receive three portfolios: Housing and Construction, Communication, and either Science and Technology or the Environment portfolios.
The situation regarding Israel Our Home is a little more complex. At present, party chairman Avigdor Lieberman opposes the agreements reached between Kadima and Labor on diplomatic issues, and is also infuriated over the attorney general's position regarding the possibility of him serving as internal security minister. In private talks Lieberman said he has trouble seeing his party in the coalition if the government's basic principles include a plan to evacuate settlements, and if he is not given the post of internal security minister.
However, if Kadima and Israel Our Home eventually succeed in reaching a compromise, the party is also set to receive three portfolios: Internal Security, Immigrant Absorption, and either the Environment or Science and Technology portfolios.
Meanwhile, the Pensioners Party has already been granted the Health portfolio, as well as the post of a minister at the prime minister's office in charge of pensioners, which will be assigned to the party's head, Rafi Eitan.
