Israeli opposition leader wants mandate to form government

JERUSALEM

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Wednesday asked Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to task him with forming a new government.

A statement by Rivlin's office confirmed receiving a request from Lapid, the leader of the center-left There is Future (Yesh Atid) Party, to have a chance to form a coalition government after both met early on Wednesday in Rivlin's office in West Jerusalem.

The Israeli president is also expected to meet the head of the right-wing Yamina Party, Naftali Bennett, in an effort to form a government on the basis of rotation in the post of prime minister between Lapid and Bennett.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to secure parliamentary votes to form a government after the expiry of his 28 days to do the task.

The government’s formation requires the support of at least 61 of the 120 members of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament), something Netanyahu failed to achieve.

According to Israeli law, in the event that the second person tasked with the government’s formation fails, the Israeli president will refer the task to the Knesset, which must make a formal recommendation of a deputy with the support of at least 61 deputies or call new elections.

On March 23, Israel held its fourth election in two years. Netanyahu and the parties that announced that they would support him remained with 52 deputies, while the anti-Netanyahu bloc had 57 deputies.

The country is poised to go for a fifth election soon if the political deadlock persists.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara