Most of the members of the Meretz party voted on Sunday to cut short the term of party chairwoman MK Zehava Galon. However, she will remain in her position because the members did not achieve the majority required to oust her.
54% of the members of Meretz voted in favor of the proposal to hold early elections for the party leadership, but that fell shy of the special majority of 60% of the votes which is required for the proposal to be approved.
Hundreds of Meretz members participated in the vote, which took place at the exhibition grounds in Tel Aviv. Galon made clear after the counting of votes that, despite the vote of no confidence against her, she did not intend to resign.
"The last conference saw lies, attempts to deceive and too much small and petty politics. It is not going to discourage me. On the contrary,” she stressed.
"We will soon elect a new central committee. 18,000 people joined Meretz, and they deserve the opportunity to influence the party. I also intend to raise at the new committee the proposal to institute open primaries in Meretz. This move has an overwhelming majority of 83% of Meretz voters. I believe it's time to listen to them,” added Galon.
"Meretz must open its ranks and refresh itself, so that its Knesset list will be varied and large. Meretz can achieve 10 Knesset seats, but it must be opened,” she said.