President begins consultations for granting mandate to form new government

• Published date: 05 April 2021
• Author: Arutz Sheva Staff
• Publication title: Israel National News (Israel)

As is customary, the president will meet with representatives of the parties, will hear their recommendations and at the end of the process will announce a Knesset Member who will be entrusted with forming a government.

Once the president has nominated a candidate, that Knesset Member will have 28 days, according to Basic Law: The Government (2001), to form a new government. If additional time is required, the president is authorized to grant an extension of up to 14 days, according to law.

At the opening of the consultations, the president said, "With the end of the election campaign for the 24th Knesset, we are now beginning the round of consultations ahead of entrusting a Knesset Member with the task of forming a government."

"The process of nominating a candidate to form a government by the president is established in Basic Law: The Government (2001). Paragraph 7 of that law says, 'When a new Government has to be constituted, the President of the State shall, after consultation with representatives of party groups in the Knesset, assign the task of forming a Government to a Knesset Member who has notified him that he is prepared to accept the task'."

"That is the language of...