THE ELECTORAL PROCESS

May 1999
		When Israelis go to the ballot box on Monday, they will be casting two votes -- one ballot for the Knesset, Israel's parliament, and one for prime minister.

Israeli Election '99 Index Dec. 22, 1998: The Knesset calls for early elections. Complete NewsHour coverage of Middle East   Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Knesset The Jerusalem Post's Election '99 site The Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC

The Israeli electoral system is based on a nation-wide proportional representation. Every Israeli citizen 18 years of age or older is eligible to vote. The country's main legislative body, the Knesset, is a unicameral parliament that seats 120 members. Parliamentary elections are supposed to occur every four years, but with a simple majority, the Knesset can dissolve itself and call for early elections. Last December, the Knesset voted to do exactly that. In electing members of the Knesset, the Israeli electorate does not vote for individual candidates. Rather, they vote for a party list. According to the Elections Law, only parties may run for election and it is they who determine their candidate lists. Parties are allowed to form a coalition and submit a joint list of candidates for the Knesset. For example, the One Israel ticket is a coalition of the Labor, Gesher (Bridge) and Meimad parties. In the upcoming parliamentary elections, 32 parties are slated to run. The number of seats each party receives is determined by the percentage of total votes it receives. But to qualify for any seat, the party must receive at least 1.5% of the total vote. Any party, or parties, with 10 or more seats in the outgoing Knesset may nominate a candidate for prime minister. A candidate may also be nominated by a signed petition of 50,000 eligible voters. In order to be prime minister, a candidate must be an Israeli citizen at least 30 years of age and head his/her party's list of Knesset candidates. Anyone who has served as prime minister for seven consecutive years is not allowed to run for reelection. Failure to secure 50 percent of the vote, will result in a runoff between the top two vote-getters. Once elected, the prime minister has 45 days to form a government. This requires obtaining Knesset approval for his/her selection of ministers. This year, five candidates are running for the prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu, the current prime minister and head of the Likud party; Ehud Barak, former chief of staff and One Israel candidate; Yitzahk Mordechai, Center Party candidate and former defense minister under Mr. Netanyahu; Zeev Begin, Herut candidate and son of the late prime minister, Menachim Begin; and Azmi Bishara, Hadash-Balad candidate and the first Israeli Arab to run for the position. --- Information courtesy of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and The Knesset

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