Shas, Kadima negotiation teams to meet again Sunday. Parties' representatives to discuss ways to distribute funds demanded by Shas, sum Kadima would be willing to give. Foreign Minister Livni expected to ask President Peres for additional time to form government, Ynet reported
Kadima and Shas' negotiation teams are expected to meet Sunday in a bid to reach an agreement that would allow the ultra-Orthodox party to join a new government headed by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
The meeting will be held Sunday afternoon at the office of Attorney David Glass, Shas' representative to the talks.
In the meeting, the two parties are expected to discuss ways to distribute the funds demanded by Shas, the sum Kadima would be willing to give and the length of time the allowances would be distributed.
After the latest meeting between the two teams, Livni's associates expressed their optimism over the possibility of reaching an understanding with Shas which would allow the haredi party to join the government.
Following a meeting between the Kadima chairwoman and Shas Chairman Eli Yishai, and the talks between the negotiations team, sources involved in the negotiations said that it is clear Shas tends to join the coalition.
A source close to Livni said following the latest meeting, which lasted about four and a half hours, "You don't just sit for nothing for so many hours."
Although there were no reports about a breakthrough in the talks, progress seemed to have been made in terms of finding a formula which would enable Kadima to accept some of Shas' demands that the children allowances be increased.
Meanwhile, Livni is expected to ask President Shimon Peres for an extension of the time she is entitled to in order to form a government, as the first 28 days she received end Monday.
This is a technical procedure and the extension is needed in order to complete the negotiations, particularly in light of the fact that most of the coalition talks were held during the High Holidays, significantly reducing the time available for holding effective negotiations, and in light of the fact that the Kadima chairwoman invested most of her efforts in the first stage in reaching an agreement with the Labor Party.