Likud Debate over ‘Undemocratic’ Primaries System

Local leaders join Limor Livnat, say Likud’s primaries system is ‘undemocratic.’ Judea and Samaria representatives unconvinced.

Likud primaries in Tel Aviv
Likud primaries in Tel AvivFlash 90

Dozens of heads of regional councils and local Likud branches sent a letter Wednesday to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in which they expressed support for Minister of Culture Limor Livnat’s request to cancel the Likud party primaries.

“With the publication of serious suspicions regarding irregularities and vote-buying in the Labor primaries, we have received further proof that the primaries system used today has become unfit for use, and encourages negative trends and even corruption,” they said.

“The primaries system that was meant to allow as large a public of supporters as possible to participate in the democratic process has become decidedly undemocratic,” they warned.

As soon as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu assembles a coalition, the Likud’s Central Committee must meet and demand from the Likud leadership and the party’s MKs, ministers and branch heads “to demonstrate responsibility and amend the party constitution to cancel the current primaries system,” they declared.

Among those who signed the letter are Ashdod Mayor Yechiel Lasri, Netanya Mayor Miriam Feirberg, Modiin Mayor Chaim Bibas, and Beit Shean Mayor Jackie Levy.

Likud’s representative in Judea and Samaria, Yehuda Glick, was highly critical of Limor Livnat’s statements regarding the recent primaries. Livnat claimed that 2,800 Likud members in Judea and Samaria were simultaneously members of the Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) party.

“Limor Livnat did not like the fact that she wasn’t elected to a high enough spot on the party list, and she wants to go back to the system of ‘replace the public,’” he told Arutz Sheva.

“It’s not the system that hurt Limor Livnat, but rather, the voters apparently were not convinced that she was the most important figure in Likud,” he said.

In recent days there have been reports of vote-buying in primary elections in Likud,Bayit Yehudi and Labor.