Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Thursday officially tasked the Knesset, the country's parliament, with forming a government after the deadline for Blue and White Party head, Benny Gantz, to form a government was reached
TEL AVIV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th April, 2020) Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Thursday officially tasked the Knesset, the country's parliament, with forming a government after the deadline for Blue and White Party head, Benny Gantz, to form a government was reached.
This gives the parliament 21 days to form a coalition and a cabinet of ministers in order to avoid triggering a fourth election in 16 months.
"This morning, I informed the Speaker of the Knesset that I am entrusting the Knesset with the task of forming a government," Rivlin wrote on Twitter.
This also gives Gantz an additional three weeks to reach an agreement to form a unity government with caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, something he has failed to do since Rivlin awarded him the mandate in March.
Israel has been experiencing a protracted political crisis as an unprecedented three rounds of legislative elections could not determine a majority winner between Netanyahu's right-wing Likud Party and Gantz's left-of-center Blue and White.
Netanyahu twice failed to form a coalition of more than 61 Knesset members before Gantz' mandate expired on Wednesday with a similar result.
