Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni announced on Friday her steadfast commitment to meet with President Shimon Peres on Sunday to announce whether or not she has been able to form a coalition. This despite a recent decision by Shas notto join the coalition under the current offer.
Sources close to Livni announced that she was not prepared to pay any price in order to build a coalition. The foreign minister is determined to meet with Peres on Sunday as planned, the sources said.
Livni still has the opportunity to create a small coalition with the Labor Party ,Meretz ,the currently waffling Pensioner's Party and possibly United Torah Judaism ,but a formal refusal from Shas to join a Kadima coalition could tip the balance towards general elections.
Many Kadima advisers were in favor of holding general elections directly after the Kadima primaries in September.
Nonetheless, not everyone is in favor of this option and some believe there is a chance to form a coalition government, albeit a small one, without Shas' support.
Livni's aides noted that, in the absence of Shas participation, the conditions of negotiation with other parties will change.
"It's important to recall that the conditions change if Shas is not in the government. There will be more ministerial positions available and additional tools to create a government," one source said.