Livni gets two more weeks to form Israel's coalition govt

Jerusalem, Oct 20 (PTI) Israeli President Shimon Peres
Monday granted Prime Minister designate Tzipi Livni request
for more time to negotiate a new coalition led by the centrist
Kadima party.

Struggling to cobble a majority in the parliament,
Livni requested Peres to grant her a two week extension in her
bid to become Israel's second woman prime minister.

Granting the request, Nobel Laureate President Peres
told the fifty-year-old Livni that such negotiations "require
much effort," and urged her to "take this opportunity to
exhaust the process to its fullest."

The Israeli head of state had asked Livni on September
22 to put in place a new coalition after she was elected to
succeed outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as head of their
Kadima party.

The four weeks timeframe granted to form a government
ends today and the President has the right to give two
additional weeks to any leader chosen by him.

If Livni, the foreign minister in the Olmert-led
coalition, fails to muster majority support in parliament by
the end of this extended period, the President can either call
another leader to form a government or elections will be held
within 90 days. Livni is expected to present her government on
October 27, the first day of the parliament's winter session.

The Prime Minister designate's advisers expressed
optimism that they would be able to reach an agreement with
possible coalition partners before the last date of the
extended period.

Livni told Peres that she is "serious about the
obligation bestowed on her" and hopes to complete the task of
forming a government soon.

"I believe that the responsibility that I took upon
myself obligates me to try to put together a government... All
the party heads are obligated to make their decision, and I'm
sure that it will be right one," Livni told Peres.

"I hope that it will be fast, as the drawing out the
process isn't good for Israel," the Kadima party leader added.

So far Livni has reached a coalition agreement with
the Labour party, but other possible allies, right wing Shas
and United Torah Judaism, remain adamant on their demands.

Shas, which was a part of the Kadima government led
by caretaker Prime Minister Olmert, is insisting on child
allowance payments that will cost the exchequer about USD 300
million. PTI CORR
DEP