Gantz requests extension of his premiership mandate

Opposition leader Benny Gantz, while in mid-negotiation with PM Binyamin Netanyahu,for a unity or emergency government, Sunday asked the president to extend his 21-day mandate for forming a post-election government. President Reuven Rivlin must reply to this request by Monday. Gantz explained that his party and Netanyahu’s Likud are close to a power-sharing agreement and need more time to seal the deal. The Likud party countered with a request for the president to pass the premiership candidacy to Netanyahu in view of Gantz’s failure to form a government in the time allotted him.