Israeli president formally asks Olmert to form new gov't

Israeli President Moshe Katsav on Thursday formally asked Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, whose centrist Kadima party won the most seats in the March parliamentary elections, to form a new coalition government.

Speaking at a televised ceremony, Katsav said, "I am honored to announce at this time that I decided to give lawmaker Ehud Olmert the responsibility of forming the government."

Olmert, on his part, pledged to establish a broad coalition government as soon as possible.

"I hope to set up a government with broadest possible support as quickly as possible," Olmert said, adding that the government would be based on his so-called convergence plan, under which Israel would draw the final borders with the Palestinians by quitting isolated settlements in the West Bank and expanding bigger ones.

Olmert, who has served as acting premier since Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a stroke on Jan. 4, will have 28 days to try to put together a governing coalition which mush command at least 61 seats in the Knesset (Parliament). A two-week extension will be granted if needed.

Meanwhile, Katsav said 78 lawmakers recommended him to pick Olmert as the next prime minister.

Olmert's centrist Kadima party won 29 seats in the 120-member Knesset in the March 28 general elections.

The center-left Labor party, which came second in the ballot with 19 seats, has already voiced willingness to be Kadima's coalition partner.

Coalition talks between Kadima and other parties have already been underway.

On Tuesday, Olmert and Labor party chairman Amir Peretz announced that they had held several secret meetings on coalition partnership. However, the two sides did not reveal the allocations of portfolios.

Olmert associates said earlier that the incoming prime minister would be the one to decide which portfolio to go to Peretz. The defense portfolio seems the likely choice.

Meanwhile, the associates said that talks between Olmert and Peretz had yielded much progress on socioeconomic issues including an increase of minimum wages, a pension law and an expansion of the health services basket.

Olmert, 61, has vowed to set Israeli borders by 2010, unilaterally if necessary.

Source: Xinhua