Jerusalem  - Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called Sunday on his designated successor, Benjamin Netanyahu, to form a new government "fast" and said those negotiating the new coalition should do so "quickly and efficiently."

Israeli media sites quoted Olmert as telling ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem that "until the formation of a new government, the current Israeli government will continue to run the state's affairs without relinquishing one gram of responsibility."

President Shimon Peres tasked Netanyahu Friday with forming a new government, after consultations with parties elected to the Knesset in the February 10 elections made it clear he had the best chance of forming a coalition.

Netanyahu has the backing of factions with a total of 65 of the 120 legislators in the Knesset, while outgoing Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, whose Kadima party won more seats than Netanyahu's Likud party - 28 to 27 - received the support of only 28 lawmakers.

Netanyahu is expected to meet Livni on Sunday afternoon in an attempt to entice her to join his government.

On Friday, Livni rejected a last-minute plea by Peres to sit in a unity government with the hawkish Likud, and said the centrist Kadima was heading for the opposition.

But media reports in Israel Sunday said Netanyahu was prepared to offer Livni "full partnership" in a future government and of offer Kadima two of the three most important cabinet portfolios - defence, finance or foreign affairs.

The Ha'aretz daily also quoted unnamed sources as saying that the Likud would also allow Kadima to jointly draft the new government's guidelines. dpa