Peres begins meetings to form new gov´t

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Source: CCTV.com | 02-19-2009 10:59

Israeli President Shimon Peres has started meetings with parties in the parliament, after he received the official results of last week's inconclusive election.

Israeli President Shimon Peres is seen at his Jerusalem residence after receiving the official results of the  February 10 legislative elections.(AFP/Yoav Lemmer)

The series of meetings will end with Peres choosing which party leader will form the next government of Israel.

Peres must choose between Tzipi Livni from the centrist Kadima Party and Benjamin Netanyahu of the right-wing Likud Party.

Kadima, which won 28 seats in last week's polls, made their case for why their party should form the next government after meeting with Peres on Wednesday.

While the Likud Party, who came in second with 27 seats, also claimed they should form a new coalition government.

Yoel Hasson, Kadima Party Member, said, "First of all we do whatever we can to make, to make the government, to form a government with Kadima and Tsipi Livni and we're going to say to the President that only Tzipi Livni can make a united government, a stable government for the state of Israel, and we hope this is what the president is going to decide."

Silvan Shalom, Member of Knesset for Likud, said, "We believe that the results of the election are very clear and because of that, I think that Benjamin Netanyahu should be the next Prime Minister of Israel."

Editor:Zhang Pengfei