JERUSALEM: Israeli Central Election Committee finishes vote counting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks set to forge a new ruling coalition
Record ID:
327890
JERUSALEM: Israeli Central Election Committee finishes vote counting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks set to forge a new ruling coalition
- Title: JERUSALEM: Israeli Central Election Committee finishes vote counting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks set to forge a new ruling coalition
- Date: 24th January 2013
- Summary: JERUSALEM (JANUARY 24, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CENTRAL ELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS COUNTING BALLOTS VIEW OF VOTES TWO WOMEN COUNTING VOTES CLOSE OF ENVELOP COUNTING VARIOUS FO TWO WOMEN COUNTING TOP VIEW OF CENTRAL ELECTION COMMITTEE AT WORK (SOUNDBITE) (Hebrew) DIN LIVNE, ASSISTANT TO THE CENTRAL ELECTION COMMITTEE'S LEGAL ADVISOR, SAYING: "Hopefully, within an hour or two, we will have final results." CLOSE OF PAPER AND PEN MORE OF WORKERS COUNTING RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (JANUARY 24, 2013) (REUTERS -ACCESS ALL) WIDE OF PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION (PLO) CHAIRMAN YASSER ABED RABBO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION (PLO) CHAIRMAN YASSER ABED RABBO SAYING: "We are observing with great interest the expected result of the (Israeli) election process. The formation of a new government in Israel, whether it's led by the "new" or "old" Netanyahu, it still a loss to the Israeli people, to the Palestinian people and to the entire peace process." CLOSE OF NOTEBOOK WIDE OF PLO CHAIRMAN ABED RABBO
- Embargoed: 8th February 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: West bank
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAEA23E1HJI0D5ZBW6NUYLN0BOK
- Story Text: Israel's Central Election Committee was set to release final results of parliamentary election on Thursday (January 24) after they finished counting over 200,000 double-sealed envelopes - ballots submitted by voters outside of their region.
"Hopefully, within an hour or two, we will have final results," said Din Livne, assistant to the committee's legal advisor.
Double-sealed envelopes are usually submitted by soldiers, prisoners, diplomats, medical teams and disabled people, but they are unlikely to have a major impact on earlier results.
According to near-final tally published on Wednesday (January 23) Benjamin Netanyahu looked set to forge a new ruling coalition after Israeli voters fed up with state coddling of ultra-Orthodox Jews chastised him by propelling an upstart centrist party to prominence.
Tuesday's vote (January 22) crystallised demands for attention to bread-and-butter issues over the ambitions of religiously fired hardliners, and largely sidelined foreign policy issues such as Iran's nuclear plans and Palestinian aspirations.
The right-wing prime minister claimed victory after his Likud party and its ultranationalist Yisrael Beitenu ally took 31 of parliament's 120 seats, according to the tally.
That made it the biggest single bloc, despite losing 11 seats, including to a far-right religious party whose expansive land claims proved popular. Overall, the right emerged with roughly half the total.
Making a virtue of necessity, a weakened Netanyahu has signalled a desire to broaden his coalition with centre-left parties, notably a new group led by former TV anchorman Yair Lapid whose party Yesh Atid (There is a Future) came second with 19 seats.
Such a shift could ease friction between him and U.S. President Barack Obama, himself embarking this week on a new term in office and who wants to avert an Israeli attack on Iran and restart stalled peace talks with the Palestinians.
But Palestinians on Thursday remained pessimistic over peace process prospects.
"We are observing with great interest the expected result of the (Israeli) election process. The formation of a new government in Israel, whether it's led by the "new" or "old" Netanyahu, it still a loss to the Israeli people, to the Palestinian people and to the entire peace process," chairman of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Yasser abed Rabbo told reporters in the occupied-West Bank city of Ramallah.
U.S.-brokered peace talks broke down in 2010 amid mutual acrimony. Since then Israel has accelerated construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem - land the Palestinians want for their future state - much to the anger of Western partners. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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