Late last year, Livnifailed to piece together a cabinettoreplacethecaretaker one led by Olmert, bringing forth the general election ayearahead of itsoriginalschedule.
Analysts say the country now has a weak caretaker government and that a new cabinet will be formed only after general elections scheduled for May.
VOA: standard.2009.11.17
For the past year a caretakercabinet has kept things ticking over, he says, but it has been unable to make inroads on pressing problems such as the swelling deficit.
Mr Ashraf also promised that the forthcoming elections would be free and fair, and said he hoped the parties would reach consensus "amicably" on which of the rival candidates should head the caretakercabinet.