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Comments:  27
Kadima-Shas meeting over coalition talks ends without agreement
By Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Tzipi Livni, Israel News 

Kadima and Shas party negotiators ended their latest coalition talks Sunday evening without reaching an agreement.

The sides arranged to meet again after Monday's holiday of Simhat Torah in order to bring the ulra-Orthodox party into a government headed by Prime minister designate, Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni.

Meanwhile, Livni will likely ask President Shimon Peres by Monday to extend the period of three weeks he allotted her to form a government.
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By law, the prime minister designate may ask the president for an additional two weeks to form a government.

So far, Livni has initialed a coalition agreement with Labor; however, talks with Shas and United Torah Judaism are currently stalled.

Livni's associates said Saturday that she intends to present her government on Oct. 27, the day the Knesset begins its winter session. It is not impossible that she will present a "narrow" coalition of 59 to 60 MKs, including Meretz and supported from the outside by UTJ, and work to bring Shas and UTJ into the coalition later.

Sources close to Livni said the Kadima chairwoman believes it is important to present the new government on the first day of the Knesset's winter session, but would continue her efforts to bring Shas and UTJ into the coalition in the remaining days.

Meanwhile, Labor Party Chairman, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, warned that the agreement between Labor and Kadima initialed a week ago might not be signed if Labor's demand were not met for an additional representative on the Judicial Appointments Committee.

Speaking in an interview on Channel 2, Barak hinted that he would not oppose Shas' budgetary demands, although he was against child allowances according to the old system.

Senior members of the Labor Party have been in talks with senior Shas representatives over the past few days to persuade them to join Livni's cabinet. Meanwhile, Shas is insisting on allowances for "family payments" in 2009, at a cost of more than a billion shekels. Livni's negotiating team, including attorneys Israel Maimon and Yoram Rabad, presented the Shas negotiating team with a compromise during a long meeting Friday, but Shas seems at present unwilling to bend.

A meeting may take place today between Shas and UTJ. Last night, the Shas team came to the home of Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef to discuss the talks with him. In attendance at the meeting were Shas Chairman, Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai, and Communications Minister Ariel Atias.

Senior Kadima officials said Saturday that Livni was willing to compromise on the allowances, but Shas did not seem to want to do so, and the question was whether they had decided not to enter a Livni coalition. "Shas is important for a wide and stable government, but we can't wait too long or compromise on the entire sum they want," a senior Kadima official said.

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      1.   Livni is "Queen Isabella the 2nd" she wants to expel Jews 03:48  |  Yossi 19/10/08
      2.   Livni resign ! Linvi is a defeatist who on one elected 04:05  |  Novick 19/10/08
      3.   Livni joins the lie-brigade 04:18  |  Arie 19/10/08
      4.   Shas or a narrow coalition? 04:22  |  Otto Rand 19/10/08
      5.   So putting it in perspective, it`s Shas`s interest to do utmost 04:44  |  Smadar 19/10/08
      6.   To Yosi and Novick 04:58  |  Otto Rand 19/10/08
      7.   Oct 27th? She said before Rosh HaShana ... 07:38  |  redmike 19/10/08
      8.   #5 -Shas already worked out a deal with Bibi .. 07:44  |  redmike 19/10/08
      9.   #6 - cannot be masters over the indigenous population? 07:52  |  redmike 19/10/08
      10.   Livni to ask Peres for more time to form government 10:16  |  Fariborz Soltani 19/10/08
      11.   #4, Otto Rand 10:29  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 19/10/08
      12.   #9 10:41  |  Northern 19/10/08
      13.   The forming of a narrow coalition. 11:51  |  Stephen. 19/10/08
      14.   Could you clarify Stephen 16:01  |  Ilan 19/10/08
      15.   between livini/peres and olmert they prolong our agony 16:39  |  virginia orrall 19/10/08
      16.   Northern No. 12 17:00  |  Jackie 19/10/08
      17.   Do the right thing & call new elections now! 17:16  |  Wise Saba 19/10/08
      18.   Peres wake up the people want New Elections NOW 19:16  |  Livin In Rishon 19/10/08
      19.   #.14 IIan. On elections vs coalition. 20:09  |  Stephen. 19/10/08
      20.   To Cipora Cohn 20:38  |  Otto Rand 19/10/08
      21.   To Mike #9 20:45  |  Otto Rand 19/10/08
      22.   Out of Time Livni! 20:55  |  observer 19/10/08
      23.   New elections? #18 20:59  |  Otto Rand 19/10/08
      24.   #20 - Israel doesn`t want to rule the Arabs 21:54  |  redmike 19/10/08
      25.   #19, Otto Rand 22:07  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 19/10/08
      26.   #22 otto and history are strangers 23:38  |  victor hardman 19/10/08
      27.   No party should align themselves with Livni 23:41  |  leven5 19/10/08
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