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Polls close in Israeli election | Polls close in Israeli election |
(10 minutes later) | |
Counting is under way in Israel after polls closed in the country's snap general elections. | |
Results are expected to be close, with preliminary exit polls giving the ruling Kadima Party 30 seats to the 29 for the opposition Likud. | |
Right-wing Yisrael Beitenu is forecast to be third, pushing Labour into an unprecedented fourth place. | |
The first official results are not expected for several hours. Final results will come within days. | |
Cheers erupted at Kadima's headquarters as the exit polls were announced on Israeli TV. | |
Earlier, Likud spokesman Roni Rimon expressed dismay as internal polling indicated Kadima was closing the gap. | Earlier, Likud spokesman Roni Rimon expressed dismay as internal polling indicated Kadima was closing the gap. |
"There is a sense of a missed opportunity. We had in the past a lead of up to five or six seats over Kadima and now we are down to one," he said. | "There is a sense of a missed opportunity. We had in the past a lead of up to five or six seats over Kadima and now we are down to one," he said. |
Elections were called early after Kadima leader Tzipi Livni failed to form a new government following Mr Olmert's decision to step down last year amid a corruption probe against him. |