Recent polls suggest that MK Ami Ayalon holds a slim lead over Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak leading up to the Labor Party runoff vote on June 12. Ayalon has the support of current party chairman Amir Peretz, whereas Barak gained the support of MKs Ophir Pines-Paz and Danny Yatom, who came in 4th and 5th place in the first round of the elections.
The polls also indicate that Ayalon’s pact with Peretz gave Barak more of a boost than it did Ayalon. A greater percentage of Ayalon’s first round voters have stated that they would not support him in the second round. Barak, sensing the voters’ desire for change, announced Wednesday that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert must resign before the Winograd Commission’s final report is released, or Labor would leave the government.
The polls also indicate that Ayalon’s pact with Peretz gave Barak more of a boost than it did Ayalon. A greater percentage of Ayalon’s first round voters have stated that they would not support him in the second round. Barak, sensing the voters’ desire for change, announced Wednesday that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert must resign before the Winograd Commission’s final report is released, or Labor would leave the government.