Region | Palestinian Territories
Israel ruling party begins voting in first ever primary
Israel's ruling party began voting to find a new leader on Wednesday, in what is its first ever primary.
- Agencies
- Published: 11:49 September 17, 2008
Occupied Jerusalem: Israel's ruling party began voting to find a new leader on Wednesday, in what is its first ever primary.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is being forced from office following a corruption scandal. He will resign as soon as a new party chief has been picked.
The two front runners are Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Shaul Mofaz, a former military chief and defence minister.
Under party rules a candidate must receive at least 40 per cent of the votes in order to win outright. Otherwise, a runoff will be held between the top two vote-getters.
However, whoever wins the primary does not automatically become prime minister.
Kadima is the largest party in a four-member governing coalition, and the new leader will have just over a month to put together a new coalition.
If that fails, the country will be forced to hold elections in early 2009, a year and a half ahead of schedule.
About 74,000 paid-up party members are eligible to vote in the contest.
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