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| Israel's Kadima chooses new head | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Voting is under way as Israel's ruling Kadima party chooses a successor to its leader, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. | |
| The front-runners to succeed him are Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz. | The front-runners to succeed him are Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz. |
| Mr Olmert, who denies corruption claims, has said he will step down as PM after his successor is chosen. | Mr Olmert, who denies corruption claims, has said he will step down as PM after his successor is chosen. |
| But he may stay on as caretaker prime minister until a new coalition government is formed, which could take weeks or even months. | But he may stay on as caretaker prime minister until a new coalition government is formed, which could take weeks or even months. |
| Ms Livni's supporters hope she will breathe new life into a political establishment mired in sleaze and dominated by ageing, male, former military figures, says the BBC's Heather Sharp in Jerusalem. | Ms Livni's supporters hope she will breathe new life into a political establishment mired in sleaze and dominated by ageing, male, former military figures, says the BBC's Heather Sharp in Jerusalem. |
| But the former Mossad spy is widely criticised for her lack of political experience. | But the former Mossad spy is widely criticised for her lack of political experience. |
| Mr Mofaz, a former army chief of staff who has talked tough on Iran, is seen as further to the right on security, but some say there is little difference between him and the opposition Likud party, our correspondent adds. | Mr Mofaz, a former army chief of staff who has talked tough on Iran, is seen as further to the right on security, but some say there is little difference between him and the opposition Likud party, our correspondent adds. |
| Popularity waning | |
| KEY DATES Feb 2001: Ariel Sharon elected prime ministerNov 2005: Sharon resigns from Likud and forms KadimaJan 2006: Sharon suffers major stroke, Ehud Olmert becomes caretaker PMMarch 2006: Kadima wins elections and later forms coalition with LabourMay 2007: Report criticises Olmert's handling of war. July 2008: Facing corruption probe, Olmert announces plans to step down Israel's Kadima seeks fresh hopeIsraeli PM's party leadership rivalsQ&A: Israeli leadership changeIsraeli fears boost opposition Likud | |
| Some 70,000 members of Kadima, which describes itself as centrist, are eligible to vote. Early results are expected soon after polls close at 2200 local time (1900G). The winner must get more than 40% of the vote to avoid a run-off a week later. | Some 70,000 members of Kadima, which describes itself as centrist, are eligible to vote. Early results are expected soon after polls close at 2200 local time (1900G). The winner must get more than 40% of the vote to avoid a run-off a week later. |
| Ms Livni has consistently led in polls, but Mr Mofaz is thought to have a stronger base of influential activists, our correspondent says. | |
| Kadima was formed three years ago when former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon split from Likud to draw together support from left and right for his policy of unilateral withdrawals from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank. | |
| But its poll ratings have fallen as a stroke left Mr Sharon in a coma, while his successor, Mr Olmert, faced strong criticism of his handling of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war and was investigated in several corruption scandals. | |
| Polls now suggest Likud could win a potential general election, which would take place if a coalition government cannot be formed in the wake of the Kadima leadership vote. | |
| Olmert corruption allegations | |
| The Kadima election comes as the US government is continuing its push for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal before President George W Bush leaves office in January. | |
| Mr Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas have been meeting regularly since new dialogue was launched at a peace conference in the US in November 2007. | Mr Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas have been meeting regularly since new dialogue was launched at a peace conference in the US in November 2007. |
| Core issues to be resolved include the status of Jerusalem, the borders of a Palestinian state, settlements in the West Bank, refugees, security and water resources. | Core issues to be resolved include the status of Jerusalem, the borders of a Palestinian state, settlements in the West Bank, refugees, security and water resources. |
| But there has been little visible progress and it is widely accepted by Israelis and Palestinians that an agreement by January is increasingly unlikely. | But there has been little visible progress and it is widely accepted by Israelis and Palestinians that an agreement by January is increasingly unlikely. |
| On Tuesday Mr Olmert held "serious" talks with Mr Abbas, a spokesman for the outgoing prime minister said, adding that the two men would continue to meet until a new government was sworn in. | |