Kadima leadership election, 2008
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An election for the leadership of Kadima was held on 17 September 2008 as a concession to Kadima's coalition partner, Labour, which had threatened to bring down the government if Prime Minister Ehud Olmert didn't stand aside following police investigations into alleged corruption during his terms as minister and as mayor of Jerusalem.
As Kadima remains the largest party in the Knesset and the coalition, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, the designated new leader after balloting, had the chance to form a government without a need for elections.[1]
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[edit] Candidates
- Tzipi Livni, party leader
- Avi Dichter, former Internal Security Minister
- Shaul Mofaz, former Transport Minister
- Meir Sheetrit, former Minister of the Interior
[edit] Results
Exit polls released after the poll indicated a double-digit victory for Livni.[2] The actual vote count turned out much closer, amid very low turnout, with Shaul Mofaz coming within a few hundred votes of winning an unexpected victory over Livni.[3] Supporters of Mofaz called for a recount but Mofaz rejected any legal challenge of the declared result and called Livni to congratulate her on her victory, as did Sheetrit and Dichter.[4]
| Candidate | Raw vote count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Tzipi Livni |
|
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| Shaul Mofaz |
|
|
| Meir Sheetrit |
|
|
| Avi Dichter |
|
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| Source: BBC News | ||
[edit] Aftermath
After Mofaz's loss, he announced that he would be taking a break from politics and leaving the government and Knesset. However, he would remain a member of Kadima.[5] Soon after however, he announced his return and will be vying for the 2nd place in Kadima's Knesset list for the 2009 elections.[citation needed]
After her election, Livni failed to form a government, for only the second time in Israeli history. A general election was announced for February 10, 2009.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Khalil, Ashraf; Sobelman, Batsheva (2008-09-18). "A new leader for Kadima". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-kadima18-2008sep18,0,1797189.story?track=rss.
- ^ Tim Butcher (2008-09-17). "Israel: Tzipi Livni wins Kadima vote to become new PM". London: The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/2978557/Israel-Tzipi-Livni-wins-Kadima-vote-to-become-new-PM.html. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
- ^ "Livni to lead Israel ruling party". BBC News. 2008-09-18. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7620215.stm. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
- ^ Staff writer (2008-09-18). "Mofaz activists: We'll demand a recount". Jerusalem Post. http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1221489065540&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
- ^ Meranda, Amnon (2008-09-18). "Mofaz Says will Take Break from Politics". Ynetnews. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3598934,00.html. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
[edit] External links
- Avi Dichter official website
- Avi Dichter on Twitter
- Tzipi Livni official website
- Meir Sheetrit official website
- Kadima Leadership Elections: background, results, and the prospects for peace Institute for Middle East Understanding
