Right-wing leader Benjamin Netanyahu has been asked to form the next Israeli government, the office of president Shimon Peres said in a statement today.
Mr Netanyahu, in his first comments after being nominated as prime minister, said he wanted a national unity government with the centrist Kadima party of Tzipi Livni and with the left-wing Labour party.
"I call on Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni and Labour Party chairman Ehud Barak and I say to them - let's unite to secure the future of the State of Israel. I ask to meet with you first to discuss with you a broad national unity government for the good of the people and the state," Mr Netanyahu said.
The Likud party chief met the head of state at about 12.15pm to receive a formal invitation to head the next administration. Mr Netanyahu, who was prime minister in the 1990s, will have six weeks to forge a coalition cabinet.
Mr Peres met separately earlier in the day with Mr Netanyahu and Ms Livni to try persuade them to form a unity government, a presidential spokeswoman said.
Both laid claim to the premiership after an inconclusive February 10th election gave Kadima 28 seats in the 120-member parliament to 27 for Likud, but also handed a majority of seats to right-leaning parties.
Ms Livni hinted after her meeting with Mr Peres that her position had not changed - she is not prepared to join a national unity coalition with the Likud leader unless she is prime minister.
It would be "a coalition that doesn't allow me to pursue my path, the path of Kadima as we promised the voters", she said. "A large government has no value if it does not have a path. The decision is now in the president's hands."
Asked if she was ready to go into oppostion she said: "If necessary, certainly."
The strong showing for right-wing parties in parliament put Mr Netanyahu in a better position to form a government. But the Likud leader has said he prefers a governing coalition with centrist Kadima and the left-leaning Labour Party.
Likkud officials were quoted in one newspaper today as saying Mr Netanyahu was not ready to give up trying to persuade his rival Ms Livni to join him in a broad coalition government.
Reuters