Israeli Foreign Minister Begins Formation of New Government
以色列外长利夫尼开始组建新政府

Negotiations are underway in Israel to form a new government after the prime minister resigned.

以色列外长利夫尼开始了组建新政府的任务，目前正在同各政党举行磋商。

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is holding consultations with various political parties as she begins the task of trying to form a new government. She has 42 days to do so. The process of forming a coalition began after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert submitted his resignation Sunday following a corruption scandal.

利夫尼有42天的时间组成新政府。以色列总理奥尔默特因腐败丑闻而在星期天提出辞呈，组建联合政府的程序就此开始。

Livni was elected leader of the ruling Kadima party last week. Yohanan Plessner, who headed her election campaign, says she has a good chance to succeed.

利夫尼上星期被推选为执政的前进党领袖。负责利夫尼竞选的普勒斯纳说，利夫尼成功的机率很大。

"She is competent and she can bring across or deliver to the Israeli public and Israeli politics a new message of hope of a different kind of political conduct, which puts her in quite a good position to form a new government based on national interest considerations," Plessner said.

他说：“她能干，而且能够给以色列公众和以色列政治带来一种由于不同政治品行而产生的新的希望。这就使她处于一个很好的地位，能够在国家利益的基础上组建一个新政府。”

The biggest obstacle in Livni's path is the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, a key partner in the current coalition. Shas opposes Livni's plan to hand over parts of Jerusalem to the Palestinians under an emerging peace agreement.

利夫尼组阁道路上的最大障碍是超正统派沙斯党。沙斯党是目前联合政府中的主要夥伴。沙斯党反对利夫尼根据可能达成的和平协议，将耶路撒冷的部分地区交给巴勒斯坦人的计划。

"There seem to be differences of opinion with her prospective coalition partners on foreign policy, on the Palestinian issue, mainly on Jerusalem, so it is not going to be an easy job for her," said Zalman Shoval, who is with the opposition Likud party. "I think we will have early elections."

反对派利库德党的舒瓦尔说：“利夫尼似乎同她未来联合政府中的夥伴们在外交政策，巴勒斯坦问题，尤其是在耶路撒冷问题上，存在分歧。因此，对她来说，组建联合政府并非是件容易的事。我认为，我们将提前举行大选。”

If Livni fails to form a government there will be early elections next year - probably in March.

如果利夫尼不能如期组建新政府， 以色列明年将提前举行大选，很可能在3月份。