Livni passes on draft agreement to Barak
Foreign minister meets with senior Labor officials, who say she is determined to finalize agreement 'at almost any price'
Foreign Minister and Kadima Chairman Tzipi Livni's associates handed over a partial draft agreement, to serve as a basis for ongoing coalition talks between Kadima and the Labor party. An associate of Labor Chairman Ehud Barak told Ynet that he, “instructed the Labor negotiation team to complete the negotiation tonight and finalize the coalitional agreement with the aim of signing it soon.”
The draft agreement, which was passed on by Livni's associates Sunday, aims to outline the agreement that would bring Labor into a Livni-led government. Kadima officials are now awaiting Barak's response.
Ynet has been able to obtain the main clauses of the draft agreement, which are as follows:
- Minister Ehud Barak and the Labor party are the senior partners in the government. There will be ooperation, transparency, and mutuality – but the prime minister's powers will not be undermined.
- A genuine partnership will be instated in respect to diplomatic negotiations, without undermining the prime minister's powers. Government and cabinet discussions will be undertaken through agreement, and if not, an attempt would be made to secure agreement. In the event that no agreement has been reached, Livni would be able to present to the government whatever it is she wishes to discuss.
- The question of Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann: Formulas that safeguard the legal system have been formulated (however, there is no mention of Friedmann himself in the draft agreement– A.S.)
- Budgetary issues: An agreement will be reached on supplements that will be granted to pensioners, without breaching the government's expenditure framework
Earlier, the foreign minister spoke with government ministers, including senior Labor party officials, and made it clear that she wishes to conclude coalition talks by Monday.
"I want to complete this process as quickly as possible," Livni told several ministers. "We need to finish this process today or tomorrow. It's not healthy that these negotiations are taking so long."
Senior Labor officials who spoke to Livni told Ynet that the foreign minister is "determined to finalize a deal Sunday, at almost any price." Labor sources estimated that an agreement will indeed be finalized Sunday, even if only in principle.
Sunday afternoon, Livni held a tête-à-tête meeting with Labor Chairman Ehud Barak as part of the coalition talks for the formation of a new government. Earlier, Barak said during a Labor ministers' meeting that the party would join a Livni-led government only if Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann's initiatives are halted.
Livni and Barak met at the cabinet secretariat following reports of significant progress made in the negotiations between Kadima and Labor. The two discussed several issues which have yet to be resolved, including Minister Friedmann's reforms.
Labor officials said "there is still a long way to go" on this issue, but estimated that an agreement would be reached on this matter as well.
Barak said he demands "a detailed agreement which would put an end to the irresponsible attack on the rule of law in Israel and allow mature and responsible conduct in this area."
The Labor chairman also informed his ministers that he demands "a full partnership in the diplomatic process with the Syrians and Palestinians, naturally without harming the special status provided by law to the prime minister."
Barak added, "We are working open-mindedly and willingly to finalize the conditions for the establishment of a new government. The public interest requires a stable government for the long run which can deal with determination with the national challenges we are facing on all fields, headed, at the moment, by the economic crisis."
Before meeting with Livni, Barak consulted Ministers Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and Shalom Simhon. During the Labor ministers' meeting he stressed that only a government of true partnership will be able to deal efficiently with the problems Israel is facing, "a government which is not a narrow minority government, with a partnership that is not for the short run.
"The sole establishment of a government is not our goal. Only an agreement on a reliable way and efficient tools to implement the national objectives – security-related and diplomatic, economic and legal – will allow the establishment of a proper, stable and reliable government," said Barak.
Roni Sofer contributed to this report
