Most of the Likud's 305,000 party members are eligible to go to the polls today, to elect members to their Central Committee. The party's Central Committee is responsible for selecting the Likud Knesset lineup for the next national election - currently scheduled for October 28, 2003. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu are vying for party leadership, with each boasting confidence that the party will back him as its Prime Ministerial candidate.
In several districts, technical problems have delayed the election until next week. In Jerusalem, elections in one of the main polling stations has been pushed off as well. This was the decision made in mid-day following disturbances there. MK Yuval Shteinitz said that it had been predicted earlier that in Jerusalem, where Netanyahu has the upper hand, there would be disturbances of this nature. "It seems to be no coincidence that Sharon was able to vote early in the morning in Sderot, but Netanyahu has still not been able to vote," he said. Judge Uri Gruzman, who is overseeing the elections, denied any insinuation that the elections were under the control of one side or the other.
Supporters of Netanyahu and the Jewish Leadership camp accuse the Sharon camp of using bureaucratic means to influence the final results. In Beit El, for instance, a sufficient amount of voting slips were not printed, leading to the postponement of elections until next week.
In several districts, technical problems have delayed the election until next week. In Jerusalem, elections in one of the main polling stations has been pushed off as well. This was the decision made in mid-day following disturbances there. MK Yuval Shteinitz said that it had been predicted earlier that in Jerusalem, where Netanyahu has the upper hand, there would be disturbances of this nature. "It seems to be no coincidence that Sharon was able to vote early in the morning in Sderot, but Netanyahu has still not been able to vote," he said. Judge Uri Gruzman, who is overseeing the elections, denied any insinuation that the elections were under the control of one side or the other.
Supporters of Netanyahu and the Jewish Leadership camp accuse the Sharon camp of using bureaucratic means to influence the final results. In Beit El, for instance, a sufficient amount of voting slips were not printed, leading to the postponement of elections until next week.