Livni fears low voter turnout in Kadima primaries
Chairmanship candidate tells 500 of her supporters ahead of Wednesday's vote: 'Kadima has been given a second chance, and we must capitalize on it. We must realize the party's vision'
Not voting in the Kadima primaries would constitute an "irresponsible act", this according to Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, a leading candidate to replace Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as party chairman in Wednesday's elections.
Livni told more than 500 of her supporters at Tel Aviv's Exhibition Grounds on Sunday that "we cannot afford (a low turnout). Kadima has been given a second chance, and we must capitalize on it. We must realize the party's vision."
Finance Minister Ronnie Bar-On told the support rally that "if (Defense Minister Ehud) Barak, (Likud chairman Benjamin) Netanyahu and the port workers' committees want (Transportation Minister Shaul) Mofaz as Kadima's leader, then you need Tzipi."
Mofaz, Livni's main rival in the primary elections, held a press conference earlier in which he slammed his opponent's Tzipi Livni's campaign headquarters for what he called "racist behavior."
A senior source in Livni's campaign HQ was quoted as saying that he was concerned about Mofaz gaining support at Livni's expense, adding that "all the riffraff went with Mofaz, and here there is a strange feeling of calm."
"Never, in all my life and all my years of service in the IDF, have I encountered ethnic issues. It has never been made into an issue until now. This is the first time in 40 years that I've heard such obvious remarks to that effect," said Mofaz, adding he expected Livni to dismiss the person responsible for the malicious remark.
