MEMBERS OF Kadima, the largest party in Israel’s Knesset (parliament), voted yesterday in a leadership primary contest that pitted incumbent Tzipi Livni against former defence minister Shaul Mofaz.
A close contest was predicted, with the result expected in the early hours of this morning.
Mr Mofaz complained of voting irregularities when he lost by only 400 votes to Ms Livni in the last Kadima primary three years ago. Since then he has been waiting patiently for another chance. The bitter rivalry between the two has been a major factor behind the party’s decline in popularity.
The latest opinion polls show Kadima, once the leading party of the centre-left, receiving only about a dozen seats in the 120-seat Knesset, compared to over 30 for prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party. The polls predicted that Likud would again be able to form a comfortable coalition made up of right-wing and religious parties, and prompted speculation that Mr Netanyahu may call a snap autumn election.
Ms Livni (53) served as foreign minister in the previous government and headed protracted peace negotiations with the Palestinians that failed to achieve a breakthrough.
Mr Mofaz (63) was Israel’s top general before being appointed as defence minister by prime minister Ariel Sharon in 2002.
There are no clear-cut ideological differences between Ms Livni and Mr Mofaz. The primary contest was a battle of personalities, as both candidates tried to convince the 95,000 registered Kadima members that they would stand the better chance of defeating Mr Netanyahu.
Kadima was formed in 2005 when prime minister Ariel Sharon split from Likud following widespread party opposition to his disengagement from Gaza.
After Mr Sharon suffered a stroke, Ehud Olmert took over as Kadima leader, but he was forced to step down as prime minister to face corruption allegations in 2009.
