No reason to smile – Olmert
Photo: AP
Poll: Kadima down, Right up
Yedioth Ahronoth survey shows frontrunner Kadima dropping by two Knesset seats to 39 mandates. Labor party down by one to 19, Likud up by one to 16. Lieberman's Israel Our Home up by two
The latest pre-election poll by Yedioth Ahronoth and Mina Tzemach's Dahaf Institute shows frontrunner Kadima dropping by two Knesset seats and winning 39 were elections held today.
Meanwhile, right-wing parties Likud and Israel Our Home went up by a combined three seats, while Labor went down by one seat and currently stands at 19 mandates.
The survey results were published Friday morning in Yedioth Ahronoth.
According to the poll, Likud would win 16 seats, Shas would win 10, and Israel Our Home, led by Avigdor Lieberman, would win 9 seats, up two from last week.
The newly united National Religious Party and National Union won eight seats in the survey, while Meretz and United Torah Judaism won five seats each. The three Arab parties combined for nine seats.
On another front, the public still views Kadima's Ehud Olmert as the favorite candidate for prime minister with 34 percent giving him the nod. The Likud's Netanyahu was backed by 25 percent, with Labor's Amir Peretz trailing far behind with 19 percent support.
The survey also showed the Likud is moving upward. Thirty percent of Likud voters who left said they tend to return to their old party should Netanyahu's recent proposed reforms be approved and the powerful Central Committee be stripped of its power to choose the party's Knesset list.
However, 39 percent of Likud backers blame Netanyahu for the apparent Likud collapse, while 34 percent blame the Central Committee. Overall, only 21 percent of respondents said they thought Bibi's proposed Central Committee reform aimed to first and foremost fight corruption, with 37 percent saying it is meant to allow Bibi to gain more power and 38 percent saying the Likud leader aimed to get more votes for the party.
