Girding for battle – Livni
צילום: גיל יוחנן
Livni girds for Kadima battle
Tensions high in Kadima ahead of Thursday's debate on pushing primaries forward; Livni says she is facing threat of being ousted, associates tell Ynet archrival Mofaz can leave party if he doesn't accept Kadima chairwoman's leadership
Is Kadima on brink of explosion? Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni has made her final decision to reject her archrival Shaul Mofaz's demand to push the party's primaries forward, Ynet learned Wednesday.
In closed-door sessions, Livni made it clear to various Kadima officials that "endorsing earlier primaries is an attempt to oust me."
Kadima's Committee for Party Affairs will be convening Thursday to discuss the primaries, as tensions in the party seem to be reaching new heights. A close Livni associate told Ynet Wednesday evening that "there is no intention whatsoever to allow primaries in the near future, certainly not in the coming three months and also not during 2010."
Livni's associates said she made it clear that Mofaz can leave the party if he is not willing to accept her leadership.
"He can draw the conclusions if he does not accept my leadership," Livni reportedly told senior party officials.
"Mofaz needs to understand that Tzipi is girding for battle on this matter, and she will not give in to him," a Kadima source closely familiar with Livni's position said. "He won't get early primaries. It simply won't happen."
Livni's position on the primaries may provoke a new crisis in Kadima, and some observers estimate that this may increase the likelihood of a party split. Mofaz himself has said in the past that without early primaries he will have to reconsider his next moves, but his close associates repeatedly stressed that he intends to stay in Kadima, win the primaries, and run for the premiership.
