The shape of the next government that is emerging is that it will comprise 23 ministers and 5-6 deputy ministers. After a marathon meeting between the coalition negotiating teams of Likud-Beytenu and Yesh Atid that began at 20:00 yesterday evening and continued until 9:00 this morning at the offices of the accounting firm of Moshe Leon CPA in Ramat Gan, the sides have still not reached agreement on all details of the distribution of portfolios and the size of the government.
Apart from agreement that Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid will be minister of finance and Habayit Hayehudi leader Naftali Bennett will be minister of industry, trade and labor with expanded responsibilities, there is still no agreement on the number of ministers in the next government.
Discussion are due to restart today with the aim of reaching final agreement. The maximum number of ministers will probably be 23, and perhaps less than that, with an additional portfolio being reserved for Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman. Another possibility is that an alternate for Liberman will be appointed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who will give way to Liberman when the legal proceeding against the latter are over.
On the number of deputy ministers, Yesh Atid seeks to limit it to 5-6. Lapid's team wants to restore the 1992 Basic Law: The Government, which stipulated that the government should consist of no more than 18 ministers and six deputy ministers. Agreement has been reached on change in the system of government, as part of which future governments will be limited by law to 18 ministers, with a majority of 70 members of Knesset being required to change the law.
Likud-Beytenu is striving to keep the education portfolio for current minister Gideon Sa'ar, while Yesh Atid wants the portfolio for Rabbi Shai Peron.
The prime minister's advisors say the aim is to have the new government sworn in on Wednesday.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com
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The shape of the next government that is emerging is that it will comprise 23 ministers and 5-6 deputy ministers. After a marathon meeting between the coalition negotiating teams of Likud-Beytenu and Yesh Atid that began at 20:00 yesterday evening and continued until 9:00 this morning at the offices of the accounting firm of Moshe Leon CPA in Ramat Gan, the sides have still not reached agreement on all details of the distribution of portfolios and the size of the government.
