Kadima winning Israel election

With 99.7% of polling stations accounted for, acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s Kadima Party was winning 28 of 120 seats in parliament, the Election Commission reported early today.

The centre-left Labour Party came in as a strong second, winning 20 seats. The hawkish Likud won 11 seats.

Other results included the Orthodox Jewish Shas with 13, Israel Beitenu 12, National Union-National Religious Party 9, Pensioners 7, Torah Judaism 6 and Meretz 4. The three Arab parties had 10 seats altogether.

Army Radio reported the same figures with 100% of the stations counted.

Officials said that even after 100% of the polling stations are accounted for, they would still have to count the votes of soldiers and Israelis who voted in locations other than their home stations, like invalids and election workers - so the total vote count would not be completed until Friday.