Elections for Prime Minister

Toward the end of the 12th Knesset's term in 1992, it passed a new Basic Law: the Government, which instituted a system -- untried anywhere else in the world -- to elect the prime minister directly, by separating the premiership from the elections of party slates in the Knesset elections. The system was first implemented in the elections to the 14th Knesset on May 29, 1996. The reason for the change in system was a wish to strengthen the position of the prime minister, following the fall of the government by a vote of no-confidence on March 15, 1990, and the difficulties which followed in forming a new government.

Provisions of the law for the direct election of the prime minister
The new law laid down the rules and procedures for electing the prime minister and for his removal. A candidate for prime minister must be an Israeli citizen, at least 30 years of age. A candidate must head a party running in the elections, and must be nominated by a party or group of parties with at least 10 seats in the outgoing Knesset, or by a petition of 50,000 persons with the right to vote. Anyone who has served as prime minister for seven consecutive years cannot stand for reelection. The prime minister must be elected by at least 50% of the vote, and if there are more than two contestants in the first round (as in the elections to be held on May 17) and none of them gains an absolute majority, a second round must take place (June 1 has been set for a runoff election, if necessary).

The elected prime minister has 45 days to form a government. The government does not require a vote of confidence, but the appointment of ministers -- whose number may not exceed 18 -- requires the approval of the Knesset. In addition, 61 MKs (out of the total 120) can force the resignation of the prime minister in a vote of no-confidence in him, after which new elections for prime minister and the Knesset are called. The following will also lead to the same result: a decision by the prime minister to dissolve the Knesset; a decision by the Knesset to dissolve itself before its term is out; the failure of the Knesset to pass the state budget within three months of the beginning of the new financial year (March 31). A special election for prime minister will be held: if the elected prime minister does not manage to form a government within 45 days; if the prime minister resigns; if the Knesset votes to remove the prime minister because he has been convicted of a felony; if 80 MKs vote to remove the prime minister for some other reason; or because of the inability of the prime minister to fulfill his duties or his death.

The 1996 elections
On May 29, 1996 the first direct election of the prime minister was held in Israel. There were two contestants: acting prime minister Shimon Peres (Labor Party) and Binyamin Netanyahu (Likud). Netanyahu won by 29,457 votes. The ability of the voters to split their votes between party and prime ministerial candidate resulted in a drastic loss of power of the two major parties and a gain in the power of the medium-sized parties. One of the main -- but unattained -- goals of those who proposed the new system was to reduce the horse-trading before a government is formed. Experience shows there are now two stages to the horse-trading: one before the elections and the other after one of the candidates is elected.

Attempts to cancel the new system
Soon after the elections to the 14th Knesset MKs Yossi Beilin (Labor) and Uzi Landau (Likud) initiated a bill to cancel the direct election of the prime minister, arguing that the new system is bad and calling for a return to the old system; with the one change that, after the elections, the job of forming a government would be assigned to the head of the largest party in the newly elected Knesset (under the old system the president of the state called upon the political leader with the best chances of forming a government to try and do so). Their bill was passed in preliminary reading and then, on December 21, 1998, in first reading. But this legislative process has been cut short due to the elections, and will probably resume in the 15th Knesset.