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News :: Israel / Palestine |
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Likud Loses Control Of Several Major Cities In Municipal Elections |
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by haaretz via gehrig
(No verified email address) |
29 Oct 2003
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Last update - 14:35 29/10/2003
Likud loses control of several major cities
By Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Staff and Haaretz Service
The incumbent mayors of most cities and towns were voted back into office in Tuesday's municipal elections, but the Likud lost control of several important cities, including Bat Yam, Rosh Ha'ayin, Dimona, Hod Hasharon, Eilat and Kiryat Malachi.
The Labor Party lost control of Beit She'an, where Likud-backed Jacky Levy, son of Likud MK David Levy, won 60 percent of the votes - defeating incumbent mayor Pini Kabalo, who is identified with Labor. This is the third time Jacky Levy has run for the position.
The mixed results led both Likud and Labor to make guarded claims Wednesday of gains in the elections. Senior Likud MK Roni Bar-On was quoted as saying that the results showed that the sides had scored a "respectable tie."
The re-elected incumbents include Ron Huldai in Tel Aviv, Zvi Bar in Ramat Gan, Ze'ev Bielsky in Ra'anana, Yitzhak Ohayon in Petah Tikva, Miriam Feirberg in Netanya and Yael German in Herzliya.
Bat Yam, Dimona and Hod Hasharon were among the cities that the Likud lost. In Bat Yam, Labor-backed independent Shlomo Lahiani won 45 percent of the vote, beating Likud's Eli Sasson and independent Eli Yariv. The last time in Bat Yam, long considered a Likud stronghold, Lahiani lost by a slender 100 votes.
In Dimona, One Nation-Yisrael Beiteinu candidate Meir Cohen beat incumbent mayor Gabi Lalush, who is affiliated with the Likud and has run the southern city for 15 years, and Labor candidate Nissim Peretz.
In Hod Hasharon, Labor's Hai Adiv beat Likud candidate Yehuda Bachar.
Incumbent mayors Adi Eldar in Karmiel and Ze'ev Bielsky in Ra'anana both won 80 percent of the vote in their cities, Israel Radio reported.
Former Shin Bet chief Carmi Gillon was elected mayor of the Jerusalem suburb of Mivasseret Zion, it said.
Mayoral candidates must capture more than 40 percent of the vote to win in the general election. If not, a runoff is held between the top two candidates.
Runoffs are expected to take place in Kfar Sava, Eilat, Modi'in-Maccabim-Reut, Shoham, Ashkelon, Kiryat Shmona, Gedera, Ramat Hasharon, Arad and Ysud Hama'alah.
The campaign in Kiryat Shmona was closely watched, partly because former mayor Prosper Azran, long identified with the Likud for his years as mayor during the 1980s, was seeking a political comeback after quitting politics for the last elections.
But his bid was crushed in the fight between Mayor Haim Barbivai and challenger Nissim Malka, backed by the National Religious Party.
Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai won 62 percent of the votes. His faction won four seats on the city council, while Meretz won six seats, and Shinui two seats.
In closely watched Ramat Gan, the Likud party branch was taken over by Shlomi Oz and ran the popular high school principal Yisrael Zinger as its candidate against former Border Patrol commander Zvi Bar, the longtime mayor of the city.
Bar won 65 percent of the vote and national level Likud politicians immediately reclaimed Bar as one of their own - he ran in the past on Likud tickets, but the popular mayor Tuesday night insisted he was an independent.
In Herzliya, the incumbent Yael German was backed by Meretz - but with Labor and even Likud-affiliated activists working for her campaign - and beat back challenges to retain her seat.
In Hadera, incumbent Yisrael Sadan, running as an independent, won 44 percent of the votes, beating Likud candidate Haim Avitan.
Low turnout
Voter turnout was very low - an estimated 41 percent of eligible voters when polling stations closed at 10 P.M. Tuesday, although there were relatively high voting rates in Arab towns. Five years ago, turnout across the country was 60 percent.
The turnout was especially low in Tel Aviv, where barely 27 percent of the city's eligible voters cast ballots. But in Abu Ghosh, outside Jerusalem, 93 percent had voted by 8 P.M., and turnout was also high in other Arab local authorities, such as Tel Sheva, with 83 percent; Kafr Kana, 84 percent; and Fureidis, 85 percent.
Voting throughout the country proceeded with no major incidents and just a few minor disruptions, including a melee in Beit She'an.
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