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| Israel's Kadima picks new leader | Israel's Kadima picks new leader |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| Voting is under way as Israel's ruling Kadima party chooses a successor to its leader, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. | 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. |
| Fewer than 30% of party members had cast their vote four hours before polling stations closed and the ballot has been extended by half an hour. Correspondents say voting tends to pick up in the evening as Israelis return from work. | |
| Security key | Security key |
| Some 70,000 members of Kadima, which describes itself as centrist, are eligible to vote. | |
| Early results are expected soon after polls close at 2230 local time (1930 GMT). The winner must get more than 40% of the vote to avoid a run-off a week later. | |
| 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 | 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 |
| Ms Livni has consistently led in polls, but Mr Mofaz is thought to have a stronger base of influential activists, our correspondent says. | Ms Livni has consistently led in polls, but Mr Mofaz is thought to have a stronger base of influential activists, our correspondent says. |
| Morning voting was steady at the party's main office in Jerusalem, which was decked out with flags and posters for both Mr Mofaz and Ms Livni, our correspondent reports. | Morning voting was steady at the party's main office in Jerusalem, which was decked out with flags and posters for both Mr Mofaz and Ms Livni, our correspondent reports. |
| "I think [Ms Livni] very intelligent and she has a good proposition on peace," one voter Dana Shapiro told the BBC. | "I think [Ms Livni] very intelligent and she has a good proposition on peace," one voter Dana Shapiro told the BBC. |
| Another voter, Yitzak, said: "Mofaz is a security man, and this is what we need right now." | Another voter, Yitzak, said: "Mofaz is a security man, and this is what we need right now." |
| Casting her vote in Tel Aviv, Ms Livni urged voters to turn out: "You can determine today what the character of Kadima will be... You can determine today if you really have had enough of old-time politics." | Casting her vote in Tel Aviv, Ms Livni urged voters to turn out: "You can determine today what the character of Kadima will be... You can determine today if you really have had enough of old-time politics." |
| Mr Mofaz said he was confident of victory as he voted in Kfar Saba. | Mr Mofaz said he was confident of victory as he voted in Kfar Saba. |
| Earlier, he told Israeli army radio the country "stands before major challenges in the coming years and needs a strong leader who has the courage to decide and the ability to act". | Earlier, he told Israeli army radio the country "stands before major challenges in the coming years and needs a strong leader who has the courage to decide and the ability to act". |
| Popularity waning | Popularity waning |
| 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. | 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. |
| Olmert corruption allegations | Olmert corruption allegations |
| 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. | 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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 held talks on Tuesday and a spokesman for the outgoing prime minister said the two would continue to meet until a new government was sworn in. | Mr Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas held talks on Tuesday and a spokesman for the outgoing prime minister said the two would continue to meet until a new government was sworn in. |
| Are you in Israel and are you following events? Send us your views using the postform below. | Are you in Israel and are you following events? Send us your views using the postform below. |