Livni wil geen tweede viool spelen in regering Netanyahu

 

Dit is een goede zet van Livni. Voor Netanjahoe is een regering met nog vier kleine en voor een deel ook erg radikale partijen waarschijnlijk net zo onaantrekkelijk als de macht met Livni delen in een soort rotatiesysteem zoals Peres en Shamir indertijd deden.

 

RP

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Last update - 15:25 15/02/2009       
Livni hints she'll reject offer to join Netanyahu government
By Haaretz Service
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1064248.htmls

 

 

Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni on Sunday hinted that she would not join a government led by Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu. "I have already been No. 2 and from that position I will not be able to advance procedures," she said during closed talks.

 

Livni has been holding private talks with MKs from her party, in a bid to recruit their support in heading for the opposition.

 

Livni's associates made similar comments over the weekend, ahead of the faction's first meeting since last week's elections. "Either a rotating coalition or we go to the opposition," they said. "We won't sit in an right-wing government under Netanyahu's leadership."
 
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has urged Livni to join the opposition rather than joining Netanyahu's coalition, it emerged on Sunday.

 

According to Olmert, such a political move would ensure the victory of Kadima once Netanyahu's government were to fall.

 

Livni herself is inclined to remain in opposition should she fail to form a parliamentary majority, and many Kadima members are likely to back this stance.

 

In response to Olmert's recommendation, Likud called on Kadima to join Netanyahu's government.

 

"It is unfortunate that Livni would not leave petty politics aside and consider national interests as a top priority," Likud said in a statement.

 

Likud officials said Sunday that Netanyahu would summon Livni for coalition negotiations immediately after tapped by President Shimon Peres to form the government, Israel Radio reported.

 

Meanwhile, former Labor Chairman Amir Peretz (Labor) on Saturday called on his successor, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, to step down from his position as party leader. Under Barak, Labor won only 13 seats - an unprecedented low for the faction.

 

Peretz has said he is intent on running for the party's chairmanship.