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)

�