Israel ruling party begins voting in first ever primary

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.