Israeli party rivals in bid for power

Rivals for the leadership of Israel's ruling party are facing a vote today which will put the winner a step closer to leading the country.

Prime minister Ehud Olmert is being forced from office by a corruption scandal and the three-year-old Kadima Party is holding its first primary to select a new chief to replace him.

Polls will open at 8am Irish time and close 12 hours later.

The two front runners are foreign minister Tzipi Livni and Shaul Mofaz, a former military chief and defence minister.

Opinion polls put them far ahead of the other two candidates, long-time Cabinet minister Meir Sheetrit and Avi Dichter, a former director of Israel's Shin Bet security service.

About 74,000 paid-up party members are eligible to vote in the contest. Results are expected after midnight.

Under party rules, a candidate must receive at least 40% of the votes in order to win outright. Otherwise, a run-off will be held between the top two.

Mr Olmert, who is facing a series of corruption investigations, has said he will resign as soon as Kadima has a new leader. But whoever wins the primary does not automatically become prime minister.

Kadima is the largest party in a four-member governing coalition, and the new leader will have just over a month to put together a new coalition.

If that fails, the country will be forced to hold elections in early 2009, a year and a half ahead of schedule.