President Shimon Peres is expected to give Kadima Party chairwoman Tzipi Livni the task.
The countdown starts. Beginning tonight, Kadima Party chairwoman Tzipi Livni has 42 days to form a government. Although only three of the thirteen factions in the Knesset recommended to President Shimon Peres that Livni should try to form the next government, he is expected to give her the go-ahead tonight. He will summon her to the President's Residence at 7:30 pm to announce his decision. Peres will afterwards immediately leave for New York to attend the UN General Assembly meeting.
Livni has 28 days to complete her task, and Peres has the right to give her a 14-day extension, if necessary. If she fails to form a government, elections will held within 90 days.
Livni's aides say that she has no intention of needing the full period to form a government, and that she believes that a decision - either a new government or elections - will be made much sooner.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 22, 2008
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