Israel faces political uncertainty after its election ended with claims of victory by both Kadima leader Tzipi Livni and her rival for the office of prime minister, Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu. It will now be up to president Shimon Peres to decide, after hearing recommendations from the various political parties, whether to ask Livni or Netanyahu to try to form a governing coalition.
With 99.7 per cent of the votes counted, Livni's Kadima surprisingly emerged as the strongest party from the elections, winning 28 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. In the opinion polls prior to the elections, Netanyahu's Likud, which will have 27 seats, had always been the strongest party. The nationalist Yisrael Beitenu of Russian-born Avigdor Lieberman became third largest party, polling 15 seats, while the Labor Party of defense minister Ehud Barak lost 6 seats and received only 13. The ultra-orthodox Shas Party will have 11 seats and the religious United Torah Judaism party 5, while the National Union obtained 4 and the left-wing Meretz Party 3 seats. 11 seats will be held by Arab parties, who are unlikely to join any government coalition. The final results, including votes from soldiers and emissaries abroad, will be published on 18 February.
If Netanyahu is appointed prime minister, it would be the first time in Israel's 60-year history that the party which won the most parliamentary seats did not get a chance to form the government. "With God's help I will lead the next government," Netanyahu, 59, told Likud supporters. Tzipi Livni said she would become prime minister and invited Netanyahu to join a "unity government". She had argued earlier in the day that whoever headed the biggest party should be deemed to have "won the public's trust" and thus be charged with forming the next coalition. A lot will depend on Avigdor Lieberman's decision as to whom to support as next prime minister.
