(Communicated by the Office of the President)

President Shimon Peres, will on Wednesday, 30 January 2013, at 17:30, receive the official results of the elections for the 19th Knesset from Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Elyakim Rubinstein, accompanied by other members of the committee. President Peres and Justice Rubinstein will deliver remarks.

The President's Residence is preparing to welcome to the Knesset factions a short time after the president receives the official results on Wednesday (on Wednesday evening and Thursday). In accordance with precedent, President Peres will meet with the factions who have been elected to the Knesset, listen to their recommendations and after completing the round of consultations will announce who will be tasked with forming the coalition. From the moment that President Peres announces who will be responsible for forming a coalition that member of Knesset, according to the law, will have 28 days to form a new government. If an extension is required the president has the authority to grant an extra 14 days.

The order in which the parties will meet with President Peres is determined by their size, from the largest faction to the smallest, and as such already on Wednesday evening President Peres will meet with representatives of Likud-Beytenu and Yesh Atid.

The Spokesperson for the President, Ayelet Frish, wishes to stress that the President's Residence is preparing to facilitate complete media coverage of the consultations so that the general public in Israel and abroad will be able to receive up to date and reliable information in the most transparent way possible from the consultations with the president. With that in mind, the Office of the President has created a media center in the official residence. The heads of the factions who wish to make a statement to the press will be able to do so immediately after their meeting with the president in the media center.

The expected timetable for Wednesday, 30 January:

• 18:30  Representatives of Likud-Beytenu will come to the President's Residence for consultations
• 19:20  Representatives of Yesh Atid will come to the President's Residence for consultations.
   
  
  Pres Peres meets with representatives of Likud-Beytenu (Photo: GPO)
   

Thursday, 31st January

Consultations with representatives of the parties begins at 9:00 in the following order:

• Israel Labor Party
• Habayit Hayehudi
• Shas
• United Torah Judaism

Consultations will continue at 15:20 in the following order:

• Hatenua
• Meretz
• Ra'am Ta'al
• Hadash
• Balad
• Kadima