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Tzipi Livni
Photo: Ofer Amram

Livni not ruling out Netanyahu partnership

Hatnua chairwoman suggests change in government policy may affect her decision to enter coalition with Netanyahu. Party registration closes ahead of elections

Hatnua Chairwoman Tzipi Livni is not ruling out joining a government led by Benjamin Netanyahu. "I'm not saying I'll join any government just as I'm not saying I won't join any government," she told Ynet.

 

"It's a function of the circumstances at the time. The current government's policy does not facilitate what I believe in. A change of policy will create a new set of rules."

 

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Faced with criticism she is dividing the left-center bloc, Livni said, "I'm not taking away Knesset seats. There's a public in Israel that feels it has no one to vote for and I entered the race to provide an alternative."

 

Referring to Amir Peretz's decision to leave Labor and join Hatnua she said, "If Amir Peretz makes more people who are on the fence say, 'now I'm going to vote' then we've only enhanced the leftist bloc."

 

Livni revealed that she offered Labor Chairwoman Shelly Yachimovich to share the premiership in the form of a rotation but that the latter rejected it. "I offered a true partnership – in Yachimovich's case I offered a rotation which would allow the public to have two women – one with experience and one with less (experience) – who are working in a partnership, and those proposals were rejected," she said.

 

Earlier on Thursday, Labor's Yachimovich slammed Amir Peretz for defecting to Livni's Hatnua describing the move as yet another "moral low point" in Israeli politics.

 

Party registration closes

Meanwhile, Hatnua submitted its Knesset list to the Central Elections Committee. Livni tops the list and is followed by Amram Mitzna and Amir Peretz. The list also includes, Elazar Stern, Meir Sheetrit, David Zur and Yosel Hasson.

 

At 10 pm Thursday, registration for parties wishing to contend in the 19th Knesset election was officially closed. The Central Election Committee will continue working to authorize the submitted lists, however the option of adding new parties or candidates is no longer possible.

 

A total of 34 parties have registered and they will compete for a total of 120 Knesset seats in January's election.

 

The Independence party, originally formed by Ehud Barak, announced it will not contend in the elections. A statement issued by the party said it is not fitting to spend taxpayer's money on a campaign that might not result in a meaningful pay-off. 

 

Telem Yahav and Roi Mandel contributed to this report

 

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 12.06.12, 21:55
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