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23 Tammuz 5759 - July 7, 1999 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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News
Barak Presents His Government

by Yated Ne'eman Staff

Prime Minister Ehud Barak presented his government for the Knesset's approval. Barak also suffered his first real setback since the elections, when his candidate for Knesset Speaker, Shalom Simhon, was easily defeated by the premier's long-time political rival, Avraham Burg, also of the One Israel party. Barak had not offered Burg any position in his government.

The Likud decided not to field a candidate for the post.

Burg was widely seen as a more fitting candidate than Simhon because he has more experience in the Knesset and scored much higher in the party primaries. There was also a protest vote against the way Barak has treated senior Laborites for the past seven weeks in putting together his government.

The Labor Party central committee voted Monday overwhelmingly in favor of Barak's list of ministers. But senior party sources said there is considerable disappointment among the party's MKs with the jobs distributed and the manner in which Barak gave them out.

One of the major outstanding problems for Barak is the nature of the portfolio which will be taken up by Shimon Peres, for whom Barak is creating the Regional Cooperation Ministry. In two meetings, Peres asked Barak to outline the powers that will be granted to the ministry, but Barak apparently failed to give a satisfactory answer.

Only at the last minute, Barak telephoned several of his party colleagues to inform them of their duties in the new government: Shlomo Ben-Ami will be internal security minister, Yossi Beilin justice minister, Avraham Shohat finance minister, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer communications minister, Dalia Itzik environment minister, and Chaim Ramon a minister in the Prime Minister's Office with responsibilities for Jerusalem, government reform, and liaison between the government and the Knesset. The financial markets were wary of the finance minister, who did not perform well in his earlier stint in the Labor government of 1992-96.

Barak also announced Monday night that Matan Vilna'i will get the prospective Culture, Science and Sport portfolio, should Barak succeed in expanding the cabinet beyond its present 18.

The prime minister further committed to appoint an additional, unnamed minister at that stage. This, it is widely assumed, will be a personal appointment. Barak also said that Meimad's Michael Melchior will be a minister without portfolio.

David Liba'i gave an overview of the major points in the coalition agreement: A ministerial committee will be established to discuss possible reform of the direct elections of the prime minister; The so-called "Norwegian law" will be introduced to expand the cabinet. Critics say this will cost NIS 400 million; A ministerial committee on issues concerning Judea, Samaria, and Gaza will be established; Mechanisms will be established to encourage yeshiva students aged 24 or 25 to find work after shortened army service, and will aim to allow younger yeshiva students to remain at their studies.


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