Kadima leader threatens elections as fallback plan meets resistance from Kadima MKs, including Mofaz.
By SHELLY PAZpensioners party 224 88 ap(photo credit: )
As six Kadima MKs, headed by Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, said they would not support a narrow government if one were brought to the Knesset for approval next week, Kadima leader and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni threatened Wednesday to hold general elections.
Mofaz and Livni met Wednesday to discuss his support of a possible narrow government that might include Labor and Meretz - a government that might be brought for a Knesset vote next week if Livni doesn't manage to bring the Shas, United Torah Judaism (UTJ) and Gil Pensioners parties into her government.
Livni told Mofaz that she preferred a wide government, but that if there were parties - such as Shas and UTJ - that chose not to join a government under her leadership, she would consider forming a narrow one. Livni told Mofaz that all options were still valid, including going to general elections.
Mofaz told Livni that he would like to help form a wide government. Mofaz has gathered five other Kadima MKs who support his position that a narrow government with Labor and Meretz would be too left-wing and would therefore be subject to political extortion and concessions in negotiations with the Palestinians, and later on with the Syrians.
In addition, Mofaz's recent political activity has raised questions regarding his intentions. In recent days and without coordinating with Livni, Mofaz has conducted several telephone conversations with Shas chairman Eli Yishai, whose assistants estimated on Wednesday there was a "50-50" chance of Shas joining Livni's government. Mofaz's people say he plans to meet soon with Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and explain how important it is that Shas join the government and not leave the power to the left-wing parties.
Among Livni's supporters, the belief exists that Shas can still be convinced to join the government, despite the party's inflexible financial demands - mainly an addition to the child allotment budget. Mofaz's assistant said after his meeting with Livni that "nothing was agreed [upon] and no one has received anything."
While it is not clear how Mofaz plans to vote in case a narrow government is presented to the Knesset, his camp of supporters in Kadima has said a narrow government would be a failure. However, not all of them are sure they would vote against it.
Housing and Construction Minister Ze'ev Boim said he would vote for a narrow government only if Livni continued coalition-building efforts after that date and convinced Shas and UTJ to join the government.
MK David Tal felt the same, despite his recent statement that a narrow government that leaned on the Arab parties was out of the question. Nevertheless, Tal was not quite sure how he would vote if a narrow government were presented to the Knesset plenum.
MK Ze'ev Elkin, on the other hand, told the The Jerusalem Post he would do everything in his power to prevent such a government from being presented to the Knesset and that he would vote against it if his vote "[were] the deciding factor."
MK Otniel Schneller, also a Mofaz supporter, said he believed Livni would use the extra days President Shimon Peres granted her earlier this week and not present a narrow government to the Knesset.
"I believe Livni will manage to form a wide government. It will cost us all [anxiety] and suspense, but eventually we will have a wide government," Schneller told the Post. However, he added that "as a member of the Kadima Party, I am obligated to certain things and I haven't decided yet how I will act in case a narrow government is brought to the Knesset next week."
MK Ronit Tirosh, who is on a private visit to the US, said before she left Israel that "in the last forum that was held at Mofaz's with the rest of the [opposing] MKs, it was agreed that a narrow government shouldn't be supported."
Kadima Party members and their new chairwoman will gather on Thursday evening at the party's headquarters in Petah Tikva to discuss progress in coalition negotiations.
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