JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli President Shimon Peres was to hold daylong talks with party officials on Thursday and decide within four days who will be tasked with forming a new government, his spokeswoman said.
"Following these consultations that should conclude on Thursday night, the president will make his choice known on Sunday or Monday," said Ayelet Frish.
Peres on Wednesday met representatives of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni's centrist Kadima and of hawkish former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud, the two top vote-getters in the photo-finish February 10 election.
He on Thursday planned talks with officials of the other 10 parties that will be represented in the new Knesset, the Israeli parliament.
Because neither Kadima nor Likud won more than one-fourth of the 120 parliamentary seats, both have been courting other factions in a bid to obtain the majority support needed to form a government coalition.
Army radio reported Thursday that Avigdor Lieberman, whose far-right party made major gains in Israel's tight election, has decided to back Netanyahu in his bid to form a government.
With Lieberman's backing Netanyahu is virtually certain to be asked to form a government as he now can count on the support of 65 of the 120 members of parliament, the radio said.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
