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Israel's Labour Party in key vote Vote ends in Israel party primary
(about 11 hours later)
Labour party members in Israel are voting in a leadership election that could determine the government's fate and shape the future of politics. Voting has ended in the Israeli Labour Party's leadership election, a contest which could determine the fate of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government.
The winner must decide whether to keep propping up Ehud Olmert's unpopular premiership or quit the government and plunge Israel into political anxiety. Early exit polls indicate that the defence minister, Amir Peretz, has lost his bid to remain head of the party.
Labour leader and Defence Minister Amir Peretz has been relentlessly attacked for his handling of the Lebanon war. But neither former Prime Minister Ehud Barak nor the former head of Shin Bet, Ami Ayalon, appear to have won the 40% of votes needed to avoid a run-off.
He faces strong challenges from Ehud Barak and frontrunner Ami Ayalon. Preliminary results are expected to be announced at 2330 (2030 GMT).
Mr Peretz, who has been criticised for lacking military experience, is still fighting for his job as party leader. The leadership contest has been described as the most significant moment for Labour in the last 15 years.
But it looks like being a losing battle, as most opinion polls have him trailing in third place. Both Mr Barak and Mr Ayalon have threatened to pull the party out of the ruling coalition unless Mr Olmert steps down from office.
The big fear of those in the centre and on the left of Israeli politics is the collapse of the current government, followed by fresh elections It is still very hard to predict which of two front-runners will be his successor. This follows damning criticism of his leadership in an official report on the handling of the Lebanon war last year.
Easily the biggest name in the race is former leader Mr Barak. He was prime minister for just two turbulent years, from 1999 to 2001. Close call
During that time, Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanon, peace talks ended in failure and the Palestinian uprising began. The BBC's Mike Sergeant in Jerusalem says the race is much too close to call, with exit polls for two Israeli television channels predicting two different results.
Mr Barak still has many enemies in Israel and within his own party. A poll for Channel Two said Mr Ayalon was on track to win 39% of the vote, compared to 33% for Mr Barak and 19% for Mr Peretz.
Israel TV said its poll gave Mr Barak 38%, Mr Ayalon 36%, and Mr Peretz 17%.
Both polls, however, predicted the two men would fail to reach the 40% threshold required to avoid a run-off election on 12 June.
Labour officials said at least 58% of the 103,498 party members voted in the election.
Final results for the election are expected on Tuesday morning.
Fresh faces
Mr Barak, who served as prime minister from 1999 to 2001, has been the biggest name in the race.
Amir Peretz was heavily criticised over last year's war with Lebanon
During his two turbulent years in office, Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanon, peace talks ended in failure and the Palestinian intifada, or uprising, began.
Mr Barak still has many enemies in Israel and within his own party, our correspondent says.
They accuse him of arrogance, and a stubborn refusal to delegate or listen to advice when in office. The former prime minister says he is a changed man.They accuse him of arrogance, and a stubborn refusal to delegate or listen to advice when in office. The former prime minister says he is a changed man.
In this campaign, Mr Barak has shunned the media, instead spending all his time talking direct to party members. During the campaign, Mr Barak has shunned the media, instead spending all his time talking direct to party members.
Talking so much, he lost his voice completely on several occasions. But, according to our correspondent, that direct contact with party members has not given him a clear advantage over Israel's former internal security chief, Mr Ayalon.
All of that direct contact with party members has not given him a clear advantage, though.
Fresh face
According to recent opinion polls, the frontrunner in the race is Israel's former internal security chief, Ami Ayalon.
A relative political novice, Mr Ayalon has been in parliament for just one year.A relative political novice, Mr Ayalon has been in parliament for just one year.
Amir Peretz is fighting for his job and Labour leaderBut that gives him fresh appeal. And he has vital experience in the area that matters the most to Israelis - security. But that gives him fresh appeal, our correspondent says, and he has vital experience in the area that matters the most to Israelis - security.
It is unlikely this contest will be settled in the first ballot. If no candidate gets 40% of the vote, there will be a run-off in two weeks' time.
Between now and then we can expect an intense scramble for the votes of those forced out of the race.
So what happens once the new leader is in place? As always in Israeli politics, there is a myriad of possible scenarios.
Despite pressure to pull Labour out of the coalition, whoever wins may yet find a way of clinging on.
After all, it is rare for a political party to give up power voluntarily.
The big fear of those in the centre and on the left of Israeli politics is the collapse of the current government, followed by fresh elections.
That is just the opportunity the right-wing Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu is looking for.
So, it is an important leadership election. But when the final result is in, the high-stakes political manoeuvring will go on.
As one commentator in Israel put it: "The end of every race is just the beginning of the next race."