MORE THAN a week after the indecisive Israeli elections, it is still not clear who the country’s next prime minister will be. The picture may become clearer this morning after President Shimon Peres meets Avigdor Lieberman, the leader of the third-biggest party, the far-right Yisrael Beiteinu.
The president will designate one of the party leaders with the task of forming the next government after consultations with delegations from each of the 12 parties that won seats in the next Knesset parliament.
He began his consultations last night, saying: “I am sure an atmosphere of co-operation will emerge, with the good of the country uppermost on everyone’s mind.”
The delegation from the centrist Kadima, which won 28 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, told the president that its leader, foreign minister Tzipi Livni, should, as head of the largest party, be prime minister.
The right-wing Likud delegation argued that its leader, former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, should be given the task of forming the government, even though Likud won one less seat than Kadima.
Right-wing and religious parties representing 50 Knesset members are expected to endorse Mr Netanyahu for prime minister.
This falls short of a 61 majority, but is still significantly more than that enjoyed by Ms Livni, who can only rely on the backing of the 28 Kadima members.
Labour and Meretz had been considered potential Kadima partners, but were angered by the fact that Kadima took votes away from them and then expressed a willingness to sit in a coalition with Yisrael Beiteinu. Now are expected to endorse neither candidate.
The key to any coalition remains Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu.
Most commentators believe that Mr Lieberman will also refuse to endorse either candidate, instead telling the president that the best way out of the mess is a Likud-Kadima-Yisrael Beiteinu national unity government.
Mr Lieberman is closer politically to Likud, but sees eye-to-eye with Kadima on issues of religion and state, important to many of his Russian-speaking voters.
Ms Livni said last week that she will either be head of the government or head of the opposition, although it is believed Kadima would agree to a rotation compromise, with both Ms Livni and Mr Netanyahu each serving two-year terms as prime minister.
Mr Netanyahu has ruled this possibility out.
Mr Peres completes his consultations tomorrow and will then elect one of the candidates to form the government.
It is difficult to imagine any other choice than Benjamin Netanyahu, although the president may simultaneously recommend, in light of the election results, a unity government as the optimal solution.