Monday, July 13, 2009

Marathon budget talks begin ,Knesset up all night

(Globes).Beginning today, the Knesset begins three consecutive days of budget discussions, until the final approval in the second and third readings of the Economic Arrangements Bill and the national budget for 2009-2010.

WATCH KNESSET CHANNEL LIVE 24 HOURS TILL BUDGET APPROVAL

Knesset finance committee chairman Moshe Gafni opened the marathon session and said that this year, the time limit set for the committee was especially short, but despite that, the committee made sure to hear all the sides.

The Knesset received the Economic Arrangements Bill this morning. From three in the afternoon today, until tomorrow morning, Knesset members are expected to present their reservations. The process can run through the night. Votes on the bill will begin Tuesday morning at 11:00, and can last until the morning of the next day, Wednesday.

On Wednesday at 9:00 in the morning, the discussion on the two-year budget will begin in the Knesset. If the voting has not been completed, it will mean that Knesset members will have been awake for over 24 hours.

At 3:00 on Wednesday afternoon, voting on the budget will begin, and an expected opposition-led filibuster may drag out discussions into the night. Coalition sources hope to work out a compromise deal with the opposition to shorten the filibuster and for voting on the budget to be completed by Wednesday night.