In opposition to previous projections, the two large parties
are preparing for one round of elections only. Surveys
indicate that Yitzchak Mordechai will receive only a minimal
amount of votes for the office of prime minister. Currently,
none of the five candidates for prime minister are
withdrawing their candidacy.
The two large parties, Likud and Yisrael Achat, are preparing
for the possibility that the die will be cast in the first
round, because of Mordechai's drop in the surveys and in the
persistent rumors claiming that Mordechai will withdraw from
the race just before the elections.
The Likud, which has until now been preparing for a second
round and has even prepared strategy as well as budgets for
such a scenario, now fears it will face only one round.
In Yisrael Achat they are also preparing for one round. Party
chairman, MK Ehud Barak, canceled next week's planned 3-day
visit to Russia, presumably because of the possibility that
the decision will be made during the first round. Labor
surveys indicate that if MK Bashara withdraws his candidacy,
even if Mordechai does not withdraw, Barak is still likely to
beat Netanyahu by one percent in the first round.
Currently, none of the five candidates have expressed plans
to withdraw. Last week, MK Benny Begin reiterated that he
doesn't plan to withdraw from the race, even though most of
his colleagues from the Ichud Haleumi have informed him that
they plan to vote for Netanyahu. MK Ze'evi confirmed that the
party is indeed attempting to remove Begin's candidacy.
