Israeli President Shimon Peres (R) and Foreign Minister and newly-elected ruling Kadima party leader Tzipi Livni attend a press conference in Jerusalem, Sept. 22, 2008. Livni on Monday night officially received a presidential mandate to form a new government. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
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JERUSALEM, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Foreign Minister and newly-elected ruling Kadima party leader Tzipi Livni on Monday night officially received a presidential mandate to form a new government.

Upon the authorization, the 50-year-old woman politician called on all the other parties, including the main opposition party Likud, to join a national unity government under her leadership.

"I agree to take upon myself the role of forming a government," Livni told President Shimon Peres at a brief ceremony at the presidential residence in Jerusalem, vowing to embark on the task solemnly.

Earlier, the mainly ceremonial president formally informed parliament Speaker Dalia Itzik of his choice, which was made after he had consulted with leaders of all the 13 factions in the parliament.

By law, Livni, the third and the first woman leader of the Kadima party has 28 days, with a possible extension of 14 days, to set up her own cabinet, which has to gain endorsement of the Knesset (parliament).

Should she fail, Peres may assign the mission to a second and even a third lawmaker, or inform the parliament that no new government can be formed. If the cabinet-making efforts prove to no avail, early general elections will be held, possibly in the spring.

If she succeeds, the former agent of the Mossad intelligence agency will replace Ehud Olmert and become the 13th premier in Israel's history.

She has already taken over the leadership of the three-year-old centrist party from Olmert after winning the party's primary last week.

The official authorization came a day after the outgoing premier, dogged by a series of police probes, submitted his resignation letter to Peres.

Yet till the formation of a new government, whether by a lawmaker or after early general elections, Olmert will remain in power as caretaker prime minister.

Upon accepting the cabinet-making mission, the lawyer-turned political figure expressed gratitude to her predecessor for resigning in a respectable way, who has promised to support her in the bid to form a new government.

Israeli newly-elected ruling Kadima party leader Tzipi Livni speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem, Sept. 22, 2008. Livni on Monday night officially received a presidential mandate to form a new government. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
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NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT

Livni told a press conference following the ceremony that the "first and right choice" for Israel is a stable government that will serve until the end of the term of the current Knesset.