Kulanu representatives on Monday met with President Reuven Rivlin, recommending that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be tasked with forming the next coalition. The nomination gave Netanyahu an absolute majority of 61 votes in his favor.
Kulanu leader Moshe Kahlon told President Rivlin that his party was neither Left nor Right, but socially-oriented with a central focus on the human being.
"We nominate Netanyahu and the broader the base of the coalition the better it will be for all of us," Kahlon said.
Rivlin began the second day of consultations with Knesset factions on Monday, opening the discussions with the delegation of Yesh Atid, headed by MK Yael German.
When asked for a nomination she replied, "Our face is toward the opposition and we will continue to serve the whole electorate from there."
Yesh Atid MK Meir Cohen said that his party respects the decision of the public. "We're not nominating anyone. Under a different constellation we might be prepared to reconsider. There will be a right-wing government with haredim and we will serve the public from the opposition."
Rivlin plans to meet representatives from Yisrael Beytenu and Meretz as well on Monday as he continues the process of forming a government, which entails consulting with representatives of each Knesset faction.
The consultations appear to be a mere formality as, on Sunday, the President clarified that he would task Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with forming a new government, despite the premier's campaign promise to exclude Zionist Union leaders Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni from his cabinet.
The Likud, Bayit Yehudi, Shas and United Torah Judaism recommended that Netanyahu form the coalition in meetings with Rivlin on Sunday for a total of 51 nominations.
The Likud has confirmed Netanyahu sent MKs Yariv Levin and Ze’ev Elkin to meet with Shas and United Torah Judaism leaders, two parties the prime minister would like to include in his government.
Greer Fay Cahsman and JPost.com staff
Source: http://www.jpost.com/Israel-Elections/Rivlin-continues-consultations-wit...
