Peres Declares Elections
Source: Al-Manar TV, 27-10-2008
‘Israeli' President Shimon Peres arrived at the Knesset Monday afternoon for the opening of the winter session and handed Speaker Dalia Itzik an official letter saying that the negotiations on the formation of a new coalition have failed.
‘Israeli' Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu also attended the meeting. Peres told the plenum that the public's faith in its leaders has waned. "At this time the Knesset and the political system must examine itself critically. It's never too late to fix things," he said.
In her speech Speaker Itzik reiterated her call for an ‘Israeli' national unity government, saying it was particularly crucial at this juncture in light of the global financial crisis. "The public wants (national unity)," she said.
Earlier, representatives of the ‘Israeli' National Union-National Religious Party and Yisrael Beiteinu factions met Monday morning with Peres and called for elections "as soon as possible".
Knesset Member Uri Ariel (NU-NRP) said that lengthening the waiting period may harm Israel. "As we said last time, we are in favor of swift elections. Every day of delay may harm the State of ‘Israel', and there is no reason for this. A shorter waiting period means less time to slander each other," he said.
As for the collation negotiations between Kadima and Shas, Ariel said their failure stemmed from 'Israeli' Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni's lack of political understanding.
"They spoke two different languages. Shas insisted on the Jerusalem issue, while Livni thought
they were only talking about funds. Livni doesn't understand the Shas language and will have no choice but to study it."
The president asked the MK for his opinion on the condemnation statement his faction issued following settlers' verbal attack against the ‘Israeli' occupation army.
Ariel said the settlers' remarks were serious, but said that those who destroyed Al-Khalil outpost on Saturday night were also responsible.
Yisrael Beiteinu representatives also called for elections as early as possible. MK Robert Ilatov said, "In order to prevent the political confusion which is about to begin, we ask for the elections to be held as soon as possible as we demanded more than a month ago."
As for the settlers' remarks, the MK said that "acting as they acted in this case is improper. There is a law and it must be maintained, even if it fails to match our ideology."
Meretz Chairman Chaim Oron told Peres that although his party had planned to join the coalition under the current conditions, following the recent developments there is no other way but to declare elections.
"The negotiations we almost completed," he said, "but there appear to be forces working in different directions and at the moment the only way out is to go to elections as soon as possible."
BILL: ELECTIONS WITHIN 90 DAYS
Also Monday morning, Kadima faction chairman, MK Yoel Hasson, submitted the official motion for the dissolution of the Knesset with the Knesset secretariat.
In accordance with Basic Law: The Government, once the motion passes, a general election must be called within 100 days.
The bill was submitted following Kadima Chairwoman Livni's announcement that her efforts to form a new government have failed.
The motion aims to cut the mandatory time period which has to elapse between the moment the president informs the Knesset speaker of the current House's failure to form a new government, and the actual date of the elections, from 111 days to 90 days.
Political sources did, however, expressed concern, saying that asking the Knesset to vote on such a bill, rather than opting for the tried-and-true 111-day period, might cause an unnecessary delays in the form of Knesset deliberations, which may end up pushing the
elections to an even later date.
Hasson is expected to ask the Knesset's House Committee to vote on the bill immediately, rather than in 45 days as customary. This move, however, is a technical one, since an early election bill needs the support of the all the major Knesset factions in order to pass; and that support is usually the result of lengthy negotiations between the party heads.
‘Israeli' President Shimon Peres arrived at the Knesset Monday afternoon for the opening of the winter session and handed Speaker Dalia Itzik an official letter saying that the negotiations on the formation of a new coalition have failed.
‘Israeli' Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu also attended the meeting. Peres told the plenum that the public's faith in its leaders has waned. "At this time the Knesset and the political system must examine itself critically. It's never too late to fix things," he said.
In her speech Speaker Itzik reiterated her call for an ‘Israeli' national unity government, saying it was particularly crucial at this juncture in light of the global financial crisis. "The public wants (national unity)," she said.
Earlier, representatives of the ‘Israeli' National Union-National Religious Party and Yisrael Beiteinu factions met Monday morning with Peres and called for elections "as soon as possible".
Knesset Member Uri Ariel (NU-NRP) said that lengthening the waiting period may harm Israel. "As we said last time, we are in favor of swift elections. Every day of delay may harm the State of ‘Israel', and there is no reason for this. A shorter waiting period means less time to slander each other," he said.
As for the collation negotiations between Kadima and Shas, Ariel said their failure stemmed from 'Israeli' Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni's lack of political understanding.
"They spoke two different languages. Shas insisted on the Jerusalem issue, while Livni thought
they were only talking about funds. Livni doesn't understand the Shas language and will have no choice but to study it."
The president asked the MK for his opinion on the condemnation statement his faction issued following settlers' verbal attack against the ‘Israeli' occupation army.
Ariel said the settlers' remarks were serious, but said that those who destroyed Al-Khalil outpost on Saturday night were also responsible.
Yisrael Beiteinu representatives also called for elections as early as possible. MK Robert Ilatov said, "In order to prevent the political confusion which is about to begin, we ask for the elections to be held as soon as possible as we demanded more than a month ago."
As for the settlers' remarks, the MK said that "acting as they acted in this case is improper. There is a law and it must be maintained, even if it fails to match our ideology."
Meretz Chairman Chaim Oron told Peres that although his party had planned to join the coalition under the current conditions, following the recent developments there is no other way but to declare elections.
"The negotiations we almost completed," he said, "but there appear to be forces working in different directions and at the moment the only way out is to go to elections as soon as possible."
BILL: ELECTIONS WITHIN 90 DAYS
Also Monday morning, Kadima faction chairman, MK Yoel Hasson, submitted the official motion for the dissolution of the Knesset with the Knesset secretariat.
In accordance with Basic Law: The Government, once the motion passes, a general election must be called within 100 days.
The bill was submitted following Kadima Chairwoman Livni's announcement that her efforts to form a new government have failed.
The motion aims to cut the mandatory time period which has to elapse between the moment the president informs the Knesset speaker of the current House's failure to form a new government, and the actual date of the elections, from 111 days to 90 days.
Political sources did, however, expressed concern, saying that asking the Knesset to vote on such a bill, rather than opting for the tried-and-true 111-day period, might cause an unnecessary delays in the form of Knesset deliberations, which may end up pushing the
elections to an even later date.
Hasson is expected to ask the Knesset's House Committee to vote on the bill immediately, rather than in 45 days as customary. This move, however, is a technical one, since an early election bill needs the support of the all the major Knesset factions in order to pass; and that support is usually the result of lengthy negotiations between the party heads.
