Israeli opposition Likud party chairman Benjamin Netanyahu told Army Radio on Wednesday that he has no intention to join a national unity coalition led by Tzipi Livni.
"This will be a government that will relinquish the Golan Heights and will divide Jerusalem. This is not a government with our guidelines," Netanyahu said.
After narrowly winning the ruling Kadima party's primary on Thursday, Livni on Monday night officially received a presidential mandate to form a new government. She has at most 42 day to form a coalition.
Since Livni's narrow victory over Shaul Mofaz in the Kadima primary, Netanyahu has sought to play up the rift inside Kadima led by Livni.
As chief Israeli negotiator with the Palestinians, Livni is believed to prepare for territorial compromises, unlike Likud who has pledged to keep Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, the Western Wall and the Temple Mount under Israeli sovereignty.
Netanyahu on Tuesday publicly rejected Livni's call to join a national unity government headed by her.
Speaking at Likud headquarters in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu launched an all-out attack on a future Livni cabinet and its expected coalition with Labor Party and Shas party.
Should Livni fail to form a coalition government, President Shimon Peres may assign the task to a second or even a third lawmaker. If all the cabinet-making efforts fail, early general elections will be held, possibly next spring.
Recent polls showed that the Likud party, to which all the three Kadima leaders had been affiliated before former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon founded the new party in late 2005, will emerge as the biggest winner if snap elections are held. Source:Xinhua
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