Some 14,000 eligible voters of the extreme left-wing Meretz Party will elect a new party leader on Tuesday. The 132 polling stations around the country will open at 4:30pm. Dr. Yossi Beilin will be stepping down from his leadership role after his popularity among party members waned. 

Competing for the top party spot are three veteran members of the party, Zahava Gal-On, Ran Cohen and Chaim Oron, with the latter expected to emerge the victor.

Party leaders are hopeful that voter turnout will be close to 80%. A victor will only be declared if one of the three candidates musters 50% of the vote. If not, a runoff election will take place between two of the three candidates.

In the June 1992 election, the pro-secularist party earned an unprecedented 12 seats, joining a Labor Party-led coalition. In 1996 Meretz dropped to 11 seats, in 1999 it continued to decline to 10, and continued to decline in popularity – earning 7 in 2003 and 5 mandates in 2005.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)