...a Likud official explained that the party was ashamed of how little it had spent. 
The Kadima party spent 30 million shekels in campaigning for Tuesday's municipal elections, more than twice as much as the next spender. Labor spent between 13 million and 14 million shekels.
Likud did not reveal how much it spent, but Channel 2 television reported that a Likud official explained that the party was ashamed of how little it had budgeted for the elections of mayors and city councils.
In the past few elections, party spending generally has declined, and personalities from the respective Knesset parties have tended to be less involved.
A group of MKs intends to propose a bill to fully sever the national parties from the local municipal level and cut the connection at the budgetary and organizational level.
Kadima backed more than 80 candidates nationwide, more than twice the number of Likud and Labor.