Coalition governments-good for democracies?

Mofaz: I belong in public service

Transportation minister returns from recess taken after his Kadima primaries loss, tells Livni he will assist her in any way possible in 'forming strong, stable government'
Attila Somfalvi

"Public service is where I belong, and I will stay there," Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz told a Kadima Party convention Sunday, officially announcing his return to politics after the brief break he took following his loss in the primary elections. "Since my youth I have been serving the public," Mofaz said, drawing applause from the crowd. He called on those present to "come together to form a strong and stable government."


Turning to Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni he said: "You have been given the task of forming a strong government, and as someone who plays an important part in the party, I will help you any way I can."


Livni received Mofaz's words warmly. "An atmosphere of hope has returned to Kadima," she said. "We have convened in order to speak of unity and to make this coming year better for all of Israel."


The foreign minister added: "Kadima can be what it has committed itself to being if it represents the common denominator of the Israeli public. There will be no camps in Kadima."


Earlier in his speech, Mofaz spoke of the difficult decision he had made. "No one has the right to play around with the limited trust we have received from the public," he said.


"Three weeks ago the elections came to an end. At those moments of vote-counting I had to decide whether to send the country and the party into a spiral of appeals,slander, and re-election, or to allow for the return to stability and normalcy.


"My choice was immediate. The good of the country is my and everyone's responsibility. That is how I behaved, and I would have liked to see any other candidate do the same."



Comment: This form of government organization begs for deals, strange "bed fellows", need to retain power once granted it, focus on positions rather than what is best for the people it professes to govern. The ongoing deal making is the downfall of this form of democracy. Israel cannot afford to continue in this manner.