Drivers for the Egged Cooperative bus system have charged management with pressuring them to vote in the Kadima primary election Wednesday and back candidates in the camp of Transportation and Road Safety Minister Shaul Mofaz.
Bus company officials allegedly set up booths near polling stations, where officials took notes on who came to vote. One driver said, "Our fear is that they will get rid of us if we did not vote. They brought overseers to check."
Another driver claimed that executives gave out a list of candidates, with Mofaz's name at the top, and instructed, "Put this in your pocket so no one will see it." He added that Egged was interested in staying on good terms with Mofaz, who was guaranteed second place behind chairwoman Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in the primary voting.
Egged denies any knowledge of pressuring drivers, and a spokesman stated, "Egged directors are citizens and can influence as they wish." Aides to the Transportation Minister also said they had no connection with the reported pressure.
The vote count placed Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik and Knesset Member Tzachi HaNegbi as the most popular Kadima candidates.