Yesh Atid leader Finance Minister Yair Lapid announced on Tuesday 13 Iyar that after giving the matter some thought, he has decided his party will not back efforts to postpone the presidential election. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is working to gain support to push off the election for six months. President Shimon Peres steps down from office in July following a seven-year term in office.

Lapid explains that such a move, postponing the presidential elections is too serious a matter to act in haste and now, just weeks ahead of the election, it is too late for such a move. Since the vote compels amending a Basic Law, a Knesset majority of 61 is required. Without Yesh Atid on board, the bill cannot pass.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who is in the midst of an official state visit in Japan has yet to comment.

It is clear that the prime minister does not wish to see Reuven Rivlin elected to the post. Persons close to the prime minister report that if the bill is defeated, the prime minister may work to push another candidate in. The Post Yisrael newspaper names two other possible candidates; former minister Prof. Yaakov Neeman or Supreme Court Justice Prof. Elyakim Rubinstein.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)