Netanyahu - Conciliatory
Photo: Gil Yohanan
_a.jpg "צילום: ירון ברנר")
Feiglin - Blocked?
Photo: Yaron Brener
Likud settles primaries voting changes
Party Chairman Netanyahu agrees to compromise on request to increase number of candidates each voter can pick in primaries, bringing it down to 12 from 15. Move that nearly led to internal war within party stems from Netanyahu's desire to thwart election of Feiglin
With Labor still licking its wounds from Tuesday's primary embarrassment, Likud seems to have bridged its own primaries chasm. The party's chairman, Benjamin Netanyahu, reached a settlement with Likud officials on increasing the number of candidate slots on the primary ticket from 10 to 12.
Feiglin Wins Appeal
Internal party court accepts claim of Moshe Feiglin camp only central committee eligible to change primary election system, however senior Likud officials warn move puts already tight schedule at risk
Netanyahu held a series of furtive meetings with his associates throughout the day, and also spoke with party brass in an attempt to find a compromise acceptable to all parties.
Earlier in the afternoon a senior Likud official told Ynet that raising the number to over 12 "would constitute a declaration of war against the sitting MKs."
In addition to this it was determined that candidates for the immigrant slot would run in a separate primary elections and not in the national one. This was also done to try and thwart the election of Feiglin's choice for the immigrant slot – Asia Antov.
All the decisions are pending the approval of the Likud's central committee, which is set to convene soon. It was supposed to have begun at 5 pm, but as of 6:30 the doors have yet to open due to the negotiations.
One central committee member said: "I don't understand why they're dragging it out. Never mind the mess in Likud, but we may end up missing the double elimination on Big Brother."
