Kadima 'Shadow Government' Formed Under Livni

Jerusalem Post:

Kadima leader Tzipi Livni finally formed a "government" on Monday, seven months after failing to build a real coalition when she had the opportunity to do so in October.

Read the whole story: Jerusalem Post

Comments

[LeeCalif]

Israel has offered to tear down dozens of unauthorised new settler outposts in the West Bank if it is allowed to continue developing large and established settlement towns which were also unauthorized.

[jmundstuk]

It's about time. Israel badly needs a functioning opposition, rather than parties outside the governing coalition. I hope Livni can pull this off; not sure she has the stuff to be a real leader but this is a good move. A shadow government is an important part of forming a parliamentary opposition. First, it assigns specific ministry and policy areas to specific shadow ministers so oversight is better. Second, it allows the shadow PM to introduce policy initiatives in contrast to the governing coalition's PM.

[Khirad]

I will admit my complete surprise at this. I'd never given it much thought. I know not all parliaments function alike, but for such an UK politics enthusiast it blew me away the Knesset didn't have a shadow government!

[nohamasmas]

Seriously, watching what the party in power does and responding to it in a positive way is how an "opposition party" operates! Unlike the GOP her in America-who has NO GOOD ALTERNATIVES except MORE tax cuts for the rich!! LMAO!!

[nohamasmas]

I thought she was still shopping for Jimmy Choo shoes with Condi on Madison and 76th street in NY!!! She'd be better off doing that !

[ROBOT8]

"act of terrorism" means an activity that -- (A) involves a violent act 
or an act dangerous to human life that is a violation of the criminal 
laws of the United States or any State, or that would be a criminal 
violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or 
of any State; and (B) appears to be intended (i) to intimidate or coerce 
a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by 
intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government 
by assassination or kidnapping.

Ref: United States Code Congressional and Administrative News, 98th Congress, 
Second Session, 1984, Oct. 19, volume 2; par. 3077, 98 STAT. 2707 (West 
Publishing Co., 1984).


[Palemoon]

Pretty pathetic that they still don't have a democracy. Livni's party has won 2 straight elections now. Yet they are considered the "opposition" party. Go figure.

[lightningbolt]

Clearly you don't know how a parliamentary republic works. Israel is a multi-party system in which most of the time no one party gets more than 50% of the votes required to win alone. This requires parties to form coalitions so that together they may get more than 50% of the votes. Kadima was not able to ally itself with enough parties to get more than 50% of the votes. The fact that there are more than two parties who have a good chance of winning makes Israel more democratic than the US, where there is a two-party duopoly and no third parties have even a remote chance of winning.

[soral]

"Pretty pathetic that they still don't have a democracy.­"

If anything, this situation indicates that Israeli democracy is too representative, to the point where the competing interests involved in coalition building disallow proactive governing.

"Livni's party has won 2 straight elections now. Yet they are considered the "opposition" party. Go figure."

While Livni's party won the most votes of any other party, parties in Israel which don't receive a controlling majority of votes must form coalitions with other, like-minded parties in order to form a government. Kadima didn't do that.

[lightningbolt]

This is what an opposition party in every democracy should do, unlike the republicans who just say NO to everything.

[mikefina]

Are you expecting Ms. Livni's 'shadow' govt. to just say YES to everything??