The Likud party is conducting its countrywide internal elections today, but all is not going smoothly. Polling stations in many areas opened late this morning, while elections in nine other areas were postponed until next Tuesday - mostly because of technical problems such as a lack of voting slips. Disturbances occurred this morning in the Jerusalem polling station, Teddy Stadium, after delays kept many voters waiting outside for over an hour. Former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu arrived at Teddy twice to vote, but was told both times that the polling station was not ready. Hon. Uri Gruzman, who is overseeing the elections, decided in mid-day to cancel the Jerusalem elections until next week.
Though most of the country's polling stations report no problems, the problems elsewhere were attributed by many to the Netanyahu-Sharon competition. Netanyahu supporters say that most of the technical glitches are attempts by the Sharon camp to influence the results; Sharon camp staffers deny the charges. Judge Gruzman also insisted that there were no underhanded dealings.
MK Ze'ev Boim, Likud Knesset faction leader, was asked on Arutz-7 this morning about the Jerusalem disturbances. He expressed sorrow and said, "I hear the different accusations, but I don't think there is any conspiracy or anything like that. It's rather a lack of organization - the more voters there are, the more organization is needed. Specifically in Jerusalem, where there is such a large mass of voters - 20,000 or more - it's not surprising."
Asked whether the large number of new party members shows that "just about anyone can join the Likud because in any event its ideology is not too clear," Boim said,
"There's no question that with such a large number of new members, a certain amount of them were enlisted not because of ideology, but because of [external considerations]. However, the very large number of new members is a result of the nation's increasing sense of trust in the way of the Likud… It's true, as we saw in the last Central Committee meeting, that there are two views and those who feel that there is no choice but to compromise, etc. What is clear is that a large majority identify with the path that the Likud has taken as the ruling party..."
MK Boim emphasized that today's election is not between Sharon and Netanyahu, but "chiefly a local issue. The composition of the party's local chapters will be chosen today, which is very important to many people... It's true that the Central Committee members are also being chosen in today's election, but their stand regarding Sharon or Netanyahu won't even be known for a while; the Sharon-Netanyahu contest is only in the background, nothing more…"
Moshe Feiglin, head of the Jewish Leadership faction of the Likud, expressed optimism that "today's election, and the rescheduled elections next Tuesday, will be the beginning of the process that will effect a change towards true Jewish leadership in our country."
Though most of the country's polling stations report no problems, the problems elsewhere were attributed by many to the Netanyahu-Sharon competition. Netanyahu supporters say that most of the technical glitches are attempts by the Sharon camp to influence the results; Sharon camp staffers deny the charges. Judge Gruzman also insisted that there were no underhanded dealings.
MK Ze'ev Boim, Likud Knesset faction leader, was asked on Arutz-7 this morning about the Jerusalem disturbances. He expressed sorrow and said, "I hear the different accusations, but I don't think there is any conspiracy or anything like that. It's rather a lack of organization - the more voters there are, the more organization is needed. Specifically in Jerusalem, where there is such a large mass of voters - 20,000 or more - it's not surprising."
Asked whether the large number of new party members shows that "just about anyone can join the Likud because in any event its ideology is not too clear," Boim said,
"There's no question that with such a large number of new members, a certain amount of them were enlisted not because of ideology, but because of [external considerations]. However, the very large number of new members is a result of the nation's increasing sense of trust in the way of the Likud… It's true, as we saw in the last Central Committee meeting, that there are two views and those who feel that there is no choice but to compromise, etc. What is clear is that a large majority identify with the path that the Likud has taken as the ruling party..."
MK Boim emphasized that today's election is not between Sharon and Netanyahu, but "chiefly a local issue. The composition of the party's local chapters will be chosen today, which is very important to many people... It's true that the Central Committee members are also being chosen in today's election, but their stand regarding Sharon or Netanyahu won't even be known for a while; the Sharon-Netanyahu contest is only in the background, nothing more…"
Moshe Feiglin, head of the Jewish Leadership faction of the Likud, expressed optimism that "today's election, and the rescheduled elections next Tuesday, will be the beginning of the process that will effect a change towards true Jewish leadership in our country."