Netanyahu to Livni: Set election date
Opposition chairman telephones newly elected Kadima leader, urges her to agree on election date 'as soon as possible.' He tells reporters, 'The most decent and democratic thing is to declare new elections. We must go to the people rather than leave this issue in the hands of Kadima voters'
Commenting for the first time on Livni's narrow victory in the Kadima primary elections, Netanyahu told reporters at the Likud headquarters in Tel Aviv, "A short while ago I congratulated Tzipi Livni for being elected Kadima chairwoman.
According to Netanyahu, "In the past few months much has been said about governmental norms. The most decent and democratic thing to do is to declare new elections. We must go to the people rather than leave this question in the hands of Kadima voters.
"In the past two and a half years, the Kadima government failed in terms of security, economy and education. The only way to stop the deterioration is to allow the people to elect a new leadership. Let's all be put to the people's test."
Netanyahu went on to say that "we have the power to restore security, push forwards our education system and establish our economy. I am convinced that Israel can be put on a course of success. Those who fear the people's ruling are unworthy of leading the people."
'PM cannot be elected by 431 voters'
Likud Knesset members did not wait long before responding to Livni's win. The first to comment was the faction's chairman, MK Gideon Sa'ar, who said that a prime minister cannot be elected by 431 registered voters.
"A prime minister must be elected by the entire people in democratic elections," said Sa'ar.
MK Limor Livnat told Ynet on Wednesday night, "I expect Tzipi Livni not to try and form a government based on an irrelevant Knesset, but rather to take the right move in the only necessary moral direction – towards new elections which will allow the public to decide who will be the next prime minister."
The big question is whether Livni will manage to lead a coalition. Senior member officials have conveyed the message that the party won't rush into a new government headed by the current foreign minister.
"We are not in anyone's pocket," the officials said one after another, in what appeared to be a well planned move.
Shas Chairman Eli Yishai clarified that his party would not rule out joining a Livni-led government, but clarified that Shas would insist on the diplomatic and social issues, headed by Jerusalem and the child allowances.
