Arab list gains another seat
Photo: Eli Elgarat
Labor loses Knesset seat; Arabs gain
Central Elections committee: Labor party loses Knesset seat, United Arab List – Ta'al gains one as result of errors; new seat arrangement means no Jewish majority for Olmert's 'convergence plan'
Labor party suffers a blow: The Labor party lost one Knesset seat while the United Arab List – Ta'al gained one, the Central Elections Committee announced Sunday night after looking into errors in recording election results.
During the examination it turned out that each one of the five ballot boxes under scrutiny featured errors that saw the Arab list's votes recorded in the wrong lines and counted in the total of other parties.
Elections 2006
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Now that the errors have been rectified, Labor dropped to 19 Knesset seats, while the United Arab List – Ta'al went up to 4.
Meanwhile, the Central Elections Committee stressed that results of the final vote count would only be published on Wednesday, April 5.
Throughout the day, officials at UAL-Ta'al insisted they will be awarded the extra mandate as a result of the errors.
Notably, the Arab list was said to have won four Knesset seats on elections night, but lost one seats to Meretz after army ballots were counted. However, now that the latest errors were rectified, UAL-Ta'al will again go up to four seats.
The new seat arrangement holds immense political significance, as it means that there is no Jewish majority that would support Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's convergence plan, aimed at further West Bank pullouts.
At this time, the so-called "convergence coalition" only amounts to 60 seats, following the new seat arrangement. Meanwhile, Shas' and Israel Our Home's bargaining position in coalition talks with Kadima will be strengthened as a result of Labor's weakening.
