With all the votes counted in the Labor primaries to rank the party’s Knesset list, former housing minister MK Isaac Herzog and MK Ophir Pines-Paz were the big winners Wednesday morning, winning the second and third spots on the list, respectively. The first place is guaranteed to Labor Chairman Amir Peretz. Also in the top ten were Ben-Gurion University President Avishai Braverman, ex-Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon, MK Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, MK Yuli Tamir, and journalist Shelly Yachimovich. Meimad leader Michael Melchior was given the tenth place on the list, pushing MK Matan Vilnai into 11th spot. But Orna Angel and Alon Pinkas, close associates of former Labor prime minister Ehud Barak, failed to secure realistic slots on the list. There were concerns prior to Tuesday’s voting that veteran Labor legislators Vilnai, Yatom and Sneh might also be dropped far down the list as a result of backroom deals between Peretz and supporters of former party leader MK Benjamin Ben-Eliezer. It remains unclear how many of the candidates on the list will actually enter the Knesset. Opinion polls have varied widely as to the party’s predicted showing in elections in late March. Recent polls have put Labor’s strength at around 17 seats inn the 120-seat Knesset. An unexpectedly low number of registered Labor members turned out on Tuesday to vote. Just 55 percent of the 116,948 registered party members voted in the primaries. Low figures were recorded in peripheral regions: 36 percent in the north and 44 percent in the Negev. Other voting districts recorded between 46 and 55 percent voter turnout. A relatively high turnout was recorded in the kibbutzim (69 percent), in Druze communities (67 percent), in Arab communities (67 percent) and in moshavim (64 percent). Voting in Sderot was extended 30 minutes past the 9 P.M. closure of the polls across the rest of the country due to a „Red Dawn” warning alerting residents to possible rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. The voting was held in 354 centers across the country. Peretz: Vote your conscience As Labor members turned out to cast their ballots, Peretz urged them to ignore rumors of backroom deals, and vote their conscience. „Without deals, vote for the best list,” Peretz said as he cast his ballot in his hometown of Sderot. Sources in the party expressed the belief that the effects of the rumored Peretz-Ben Eliezer deals would be limited to the northern regions of the country. The party was agitated Monday by rumors of a „mega deal” between Peretz’s camp and Ben Eliezer’s camp. The victims of the deal would be the veteran Knesset members and those identified with former Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Their names will be omitted from the list of candidates which both Peretz’ and Ben Eliezer’s supporters will support. Party sources said Monday that the reported deal between Peretz and Ben Eliezer’s people could become a coalition to keep Barak out of the party leadership. The deal reportedly includes adding Arye Amit – whom Peretz brought into the party – to the list supported by Ben Eliezer’s people. In exchange, Peretz’s people will add Ben Eliezer’s confidant Danny Atar to their list. However, senior party sources believe that the large number of voters will reduce the effect of the deals, and will reflect the candidates’ real popularity. „It’s up to Peretz to prove that there are no deals and no foul play,” a party source said. Peretz and Ben Eliezer denied that they were involved in any deals, and were not recommending or blacklisting people. However, dozens of lists are being distributed among Labor activists. The most prestigious lists are those issued by Histadrut leaders and the large labor unions. Additional deals have been closed among the Romanian immigrants’ association, the kibbutz and moshavim movements, and in the Arab and Druze communities. Labor presented its new campaign staff Monday, after the departure of its two main advisers Moti Morel and Shmulik Cohen. The staff will be headed by Roni Rimon, who formerly worked with Labor’s two rivals, Ehud Olmert (Kadima) and Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud). American public opinion adviser Stanley Greenberg, who formerly worked with U.S. President Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Barak, will work alongside Rimon. Labor Knesset list for March 28 election: 1. Amir Peretz 2. Itzhak Herzog 3. Ophir Pines-Paz 4. Avishai Braverman 5. Yuli Tamir [slot reserved for women] 6. Ami Ayalon 7. Eitan Cabel [slot reserved for party secretary-general] 8. Benjamin Ben-Eliezer 9. Shelly Yachimovich [moved forward in women’s slot] 10. Michael Melchior 11. Matan Vilnai 12. Collette Avital [moved forward in women’s slot] 13. Ephraim Sneh 14. Danny Yatom 15. Nadia Hilo [moved forward in women’s slot] 16. Shalom Simhon [slot reserved for moshavim] 17. Orit Noked [slot reserved for kibbutzim] 18. Yoram Marciano [underprivileged neighborhoods] 19. Raleb Majadele [slot reserved for Arab sector] 20. Shanan Shaqib [slot reserved for Druze sector]
BPI-info
BPI-info
