Israeli premier hopeful may call for new election

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni’s campaign to become the nation’s next prime minister appeared to be faltering late Saturday amid media reports that she was abandoning her efforts to build a new coalition government.

Livni today planned to recommend that President Shimon Peres call for a general election, possibly in February -- more than a year ahead of schedule, Israel Radio and Army Radio reported.

Livni was selected by the Kadima party to succeed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who resigned Sept. 21 amid a series of corruption inquiries but was to remain in the position until a new government was formed.

Livni and her representatives did not issue any public statements as of Saturday night, as she huddled with advisors at her Tel Aviv home.

But Livni had lost a key potential coalition partner earlier Saturday when the right-wing religious United Torah Judaism party, or UTJ, announced it would not join the government she was trying to form. On Friday, the larger religious party Shas had made a similar declaration.

The loss of the two parties in the coalition effort would be a crucial blow to Livni -- who was attempting to organize a majority in the 120-member Knesset, or parliament.

Kadima’s coalition effort included an alliance with the Labor Party, led by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and several small parties. But without Shas and UTJ, her best hope for a coalition probably would be a thin and unstable group that could have a hard time implementing its policies.

Livni has until Nov. 3 to present a potential coalition, but last week she announced a personal deadline of today to decide whether a viable bloc could be built.

She is scheduled to meet with Peres tonight in Jerusalem. If Livni abandons her coalition efforts, Peres could either choose another Knesset member and grant him or her six weeks to form a coalition, or set in motion new national elections.

As of late Saturday, some Livni aides were still saying the fight to build a coalition government was not over.

“Everything is open; everything is still possible,” said Cabinet minister and Livni ally Tzachi Hanegbi in an interview with Israel’s Channel 2 news.

But others in the Israeli political scene, including some in Livni’s party, were already operating on the assumption that Livni had conceded defeat.

“Livni made the right decision,” said Yoel Hasson, a Kadima parliamentarian, who commended his party leader for refusing what he called “the impossible extortion” by potential coalition partners.

“Kadima will go to elections -- and win them,” Hasson added.

Also looking forward to a new national vote is the right-wing Likud Party, led by hawkish former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Most polls show Likud gaining ground in new elections, and Netanyahu has been steadily calling for a fresh vote since Livni was elected Kadima party chairwoman several weeks ago.

“The nation deserves a new and stable government instead of an artificial coalition with neither guidelines nor real policy,” said Likud parliamentarian Reuven Rivlin.

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ashraf.khalil@latimes.com