Israel's President Receives Official Results of Snap Elections, Set to Start Winner Talks
The head of Israel's Central Elections Committee, Neal Hendel, on Wednesday presented President Reuven Rivlin with the official results of the March 2 general vote, paving the way for consultations that could end the almost a year-long political deadlock in the country
TEL AVIV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th March, 2020) The head of Israel's Central Elections Committee, Neal Hendel, on Wednesday presented President Reuven Rivlin with the official results of the March 2 general vote, paving the way for consultations that could end the almost a year-long political deadlock in the country.
The ceremony was held in the presidential residence in Jerusalem.
"This is the place to remind party heads and elected officials that this house, and I personally, are at your disposal for any serious and genuine conversation you may wish to hold. Any agreement that produces a stable government that gains the trust of the people will be welcomed," Rivlin said in his address to the party leaders who made it to the 23d convocation of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset.
Rivlin is scheduled to hold consultations with them coming Sunday and mandate one of the party leaders with forming a new cabinet. The event will be live broadcast. There is also a 28-day period allotted for coalition talks, with an extension possibility for up to two weeks.
On March 2, Israel held its third parliamentary elections in a year in a bid to resolve the political deadlock. Neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party nor the Blue and White alliance led by his centrist opponent, Benny Gantz, were able to form a coalition government following two inconclusive votes in April and September of last year.
The snap elections' final count of votes was completed on Tuesday night, seeing Likud in the lead with 36 seats in the 120-seat parliament. Blue and White came in second with 33 mandates, followed by the Joint List of Arab parties with 15 seats, and the pro-Netanyahu far-right Shas party with 9 seats. Another ultra-religious party United Torah Judaism, the leftist bloc Labor-Gesher-Meretz, and the right-wing Yisrael Beytenu party each got 7 seats. The far-right Yamina alliance concludes the list with six mandates.