The Kadima party voted unanimously Thursday night to reserve the second spot on its list of Knesset candidates for Transportation and Road Safety Minister Shaul Mofaz, who barely lost out to Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni for the party chairmanship. Supporters of the former defense minister and chief of staff of the armed forces that not to reserve the spot would hurt party unity. The move was opposed by Kadima's legal advisor.

The Likud party was quick to criticize the move as political and undemocratic. Livni later attacked the Likud as all talk and no action.