Israeli, Palestinian reaction to Livni decision on election
Jerusalem
1. Amit Segal, Israeli reporter and political analyst taking notes
2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Amit Segal, Parliamentary correspondent for Channel 2:
The countdown starts today. Tzipi Livni comes to the president and announces that she did not succeed to form a coalition, from now on, we have 111 days till the general elections on February 17th. The main battle is between Livni with Kadima against the Likud party headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, this is the main battle. Ehud Barak in the Labour will try to overcome his failures but the main assumption is that he will not succeed in that.
Ramallah, West Bank
3. Wide of Mukata compound
4. Close-up of cameramen
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Saeb Erekat, Palestinian negotiator:
We consider the internal situation in Israel whether they go to a coalition or elections as a domestic Israeli matter. Having said that, I hope that the Israeli people will chose peace, will chose to end the occupation, will chose to end settlement activities and to end the occupation and will chose the two state solution. The state of Palestine next to the state of Israel.
Gaza City, Gaza Strip
6. Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Aiman Taha sitting at desk, looking at computer screen
7. Close-up of computer screen
8. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Aiman Taha, Hamas spokesman in Gaza:
Despite our assertion that we reject negotiations, from a political analysis point of view, we can say that they (elections) will have a negative effect. Because the negotiation process will be halted until new elections are held and a new government if formed with new politicians. Plus it is expected that things will tip in favour of fundamentalism in the Israeli society.
9. Taha walking away from desk
STORYLINE
Israeli Prime Minister-designate Tzipi Livni on Sunday abandoned her efforts to form a government, putting Israel on course for new elections that could endanger a fragile progress to end decades of Arab-Israeli conflict.
Palestinians worried that the decision could put a year's worth of peace talks in limbo for months, until the elections are held.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on Sunday told reporters in Ramallah, West Bank, that Palestinians see the internal political situation in Israel as a domestic matter.
Erekat added that he hoped Israelis would chose peace, the end of occupation and the two state solution.
Aiman Taha, Hamas spokesman in Gaza said that the elections would have a negative effect because the negotiation process would be temporarily halted.
The balloting could also clear the way for opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who rejects sweeping territorial concessions to the Arabs, to reclaim the premiership.
Israeli reporter and political analyst Amit Segal said on Sunday that the main battle was between Livni's Kadima against the Likud party headed by Netanyahu.
Segal said that it was expected that Labor party leader Ehud Barak would try to overcome his failures but he would not succeed.
Livni has been trying to cobble together a government since she replaced the corruption-tainted Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as head of the ruling Kadima Party in September.
But partners in the current coalition, which took power in May 2006, used the changing of the guard to press new demands.
In a statement, Livni said she was willing to make concessions but had to draw the line at impossible demands.
Livni had been scheduled to formally convey her decision to President Shimon Peres in the early afternoon.
But she put off that meeting after parliament speaker Dalia Itzik embarked upon a last-ditch bid to salvage the coalition talks.
Itzik's efforts, however, were unsuccessful.
After the meeting, Livni travelled to Peres' official residence and said she had not changed her mind.
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