TEL AVIV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd September, 2019) Israeli President Reuven Rivlin began two-day consultations with elected parties on Sunday in an attempt to pick a politician who looks most capable of forming a coalition government.
No party won an outright majority in last week's parliamentary elections. Benny Gantz's centrist Kahol Lavan came out on top with 33 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, followed by the conservative Likud party of incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with 31 seats.
The president first met with Kahol Lavan. Likud, which is up next, is expected to propose Netanyahu for premiership. Talks are also planned with the third-placed Joint List of Arab parties, ultra-Orthodox Shas and secular nationalist Yisrael Beitenu of former defense chief Avigdor Lieberman.
The politician with at least 61 parliamentary endorsements will be tasked with forming a government. If no candidate gets enough votes Rivlin will choose one. The prime minister-designate will have 28 days to seal a coalition deal, with coalition talks set to start on Wednesday. The deadline can be pushed back by 14 days, after which a snap election will be called.
