With the end to the political limbo theIsraeli political arena has found itself in after last week's general elections nowherein sight, both Kadima and the Likud parties are adamant that they had won the Knesset race.
"You don’t have to be a mathematical genius to understand that 28 mandates are more than 27 mandates," Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni saidSunday, at the party's faction meeting.
"Twenty-eight isn't just a number. It's hundreds of thousands of people who voted for what we stand for," she added. "There was no ballot reading 'Bloc' in the polling stations. We are the ones who won the public's confidence."
Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik said it was up to President Shimon Peres tomake a final decision: "The situation is so complex it is absolutely clear," she said. "I have reason to believe not all of the right-wing parties will endorse (Likud Chairman Benjamin) Netanyahu ,giving the president's opinion huge weight.
"I believe he will task Livni with forming the government, but if we will not be the chosen one, I suggest we choose the opposition."
Under the Israeli electoral system the president is the one who tasks one of the party heads with forming the new government. Though the president is officially supposed to assign the winning candidate with the task, he is also bound to assign it to the candidate most likely to successfully form a coalition. Given the tight results noted in last Tuesday's election, this time the one tasked with the mission may not be the de facto winner.
The Likud ,on its part, claimed Saturday that "Netanyahu would be willing to integrate Kadima in a Likud-led unity government, but Livni would first have to put petty politics aside and put the national interest first."
Senior Kadima sourcestold Ynet that even if the party ends up as part of a Netanyahu government, it is strategically wise for it not to appear too enthused to join it.
A Likud source dismissed Livni's comments Sunday, saying that "the National Camp's overall 65 mandates are categorically more that the Left's 44 seats. This is nothing but a lame attempt to present false results when it is clear that the majority of the Israeli public has rejected Kadima's way and wants to see a Netanyahu-led government."
First published: 16:09, 02.15.9