Olmert, Lieberman to promote presidential form for gov't
Saturday, October 7, 2006
Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: It is important to see what the details of the
plan actually are. The current law does not require that ministers today be
members of Knesset (Shaul Mofaz, for example, served as DM when he was not
an MK). Instead of encouraging future prime ministers to nominate
appropriate candidates by expanding the role of the Knesset's oversight
function and subjecting the candidates to hearings before a Knesset
committee it sounds as if under the proposal there would be no Knesset
oversight whatsoever.
Basic question: Has Israel's problem been that it has had fantastic prime
ministers with tremendous plans who were held back from executing them by
the limitations of the political system or, alternatively, has Israeli
suffered from a series of prime ministers who have pursued half-baked ideas
shot from the hip who at best were only slightly slowed down from
implementing their destructive programs by the few checks and balances the
Israeli political system now has?
It will be particularly important to read the fine print. Avigdor
Lieberman's claim to fame is a plan to redraw the borders for a "we are here
they are there" solution. He wrote a book describing his plan but, in the
Israeli tradition of not reading anything, both journalists and politicians
relate only to what he offers in thumbnail sketches rather than going to the
trouble of actually going through the text. If they did they would find the
gaping holes in his presentation.
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Olmert, Lieberman to promote presidential form for gov't
Gil Hoffman and jpost staff, THE JERUSALEM POST Oct. 7, 2006
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1159193389743&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Israel Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman
agreed on Friday to uphold changes in the structure of the next government.
The meeting may also signal that Yisrael Beiteinu is on its way to joining
the government.
From the start of the upcoming winter Knesset session, the two parties,
Israel Beiteinu and Kadima, would promote legislation to change the system
of government in Israel and to create a constitution for the state.
Olmert and Lieberman discussed the creation of a presidential system.
According to the proposed model, the prime minister will have the power to
nominate ministers based on their qualifications, without having to receive
permission from the Knesset.
These ministers will not have to act as Knesset members.
Science and Sport Minister Ophir Pines-Paz rejected the proposed change,
saying that "direct elections were a big failure and its results were the
opposite of its goals. The problem isn't the governmental system but the
political culture in Israel. A presidential system without a constitution
can be dangerous."
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