Israel Officials Investigate Vote Rigging in Primaries

JERUSALEM — Israeli justice officials are investigating allegations of vote rigging in the primary election for the leadership of the ruling Kadima party.It has been alleged that attempts have been made to manipulate the party’s membership roll prior to the vote tomorrow, which is likely to decide who will follow the corruption-tainted Ehud Olmert as the next Israeli prime minister.The foreign minister, Tzipi, is the favorit e to win but manipulation of the roll could end up helping the three other contenders, including her closest rival, Shaul Mofaz, the transport minister.The investigation focuses on allegations of “double membership,” where people who signed up to Kadima were also members of another party. The justice ministry’s electoral registrar found 3,691 names on the Kadima membership list that were also on the roll for Likud, the right-wing opposition party. It is believed Kadima party members with Likud links would be likely to vote for Mr. Mofaz.There are also concerns about a recent surge in party membership to 73,000 from 30,000, which, officials believe, could be an attempt to rig the primary with a cohort of last-minute voters with no real loyalty to Kadima. It was formed in late 2005 by Ariel Sharon, a former leader of Likud now in a coma, when he fell out with his former party. Many of Kadima’s founding politicians and members came from Likud but they should have ended all links with it.Mr. Olmert will meet the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, today in what could be their last talks on peace before the Israeli premier steps down.America has agreed to provide Israel with 1,000 “mini” bunker-buster bombs in a deal that gives the Jewish state new military options for any attack on Iran’s nuclear program.America said yesterday that it would push for stiffer sanctions against Tehran after U.N. nuclear inspectors said Iran had increased its uranium enrichment programme and was not cooperating with inspections.Dozens of Iranian warplanes carried out their most extensive military exercises for several months yesterday.

Israel Officials Investigate Vote Rigging in Primaries

Israel Officials Investigate Vote Rigging in Primaries

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