- Title: ISRAEL-ELECTION/PREVIEW Israel prepares for general elections
- Date: 16th March 2015
- Summary: PHOTO IN NEWSPAPER SHOWING HAND CASTING BALLOT
- Embargoed: 31st March 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Israel
- Country: Israel
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA5SJK0TQ6CGV1S883UFJ8FMLVZ
- Story Text: Jerusalem residents voiced hope on Monday (March 16) that parliamentary elections will bring about a leadership change but some were sceptical.
"Ahead of elections, I feel there might be a change but there are always surprises so we can't know. I want a change," said Ahuva, a resident of Jerusalem.
"I don't think that there will be a big surprise in this election. Maybe Bougie (nickname for Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog) will receive a mandate to form a government and there will be a left wing government which is something different but I don't see how it will change my life in a special way," said another resident, Reut Riter.
5.9 million eligible voters will cast their votes at 10,000 polling stations across the country that will open on Tuesday (March 17) at 0500GMT and close at 2000GMT.
Israel's Channel 10 news network set up a unique glass studio at the central Rabin square in Tel Aviv where they plan to project the exit polls.
Giora Pordes, Central Elections Committee (CEC) spokesman, said they set up a 'situation room' in parliament where they would receive figures from the voting stations and where the official counting process will take place.
"We hope that by Thursday we will already have all the results of the counting of all the votes, including division into mandates (parliament seats). This is the room from where the head of the central elections committee will inform the public of the election results, including division of mandates, after it's all done," said Pordes.
The head of the news department at Israel's Broadcasting Authority (IBA) said she was looking forward to the first exit polls after voting ends at 10pm (0800 GMT).
"My expectations for tomorrow, firstly that the exit poll is going to be accurate, you know, you can hear my palpitations. And this is the first and the biggest test, examination," said Ayala Hasson.
Final opinion polls published on Friday (March 13) predicted the center-left Zionist Union led by Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni would take between 24 and 26 seats in Tuesday's vote, compared to 20-22 seats for Netanyahu's Likud.
"I think that Prime Minister Netanyahu has few problems with few governments, Obama administration, in Europe etc. So it will not be, I will not be, how shall I phrase that, I will not exaggerate if I say that they are looking forward to see the results, if they have another Prime Minister to deal with," Hasson said from a spacial election studio in Jerusalem.
No single party has ever won an outright majority in Israel's 120-seat Knesset and the party leader with the best chance of forming a coalition would lead the new government.
While admitting he is trailing in the polls, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hoping that right-wing parties can narrow the gap sufficiently for him to be nominated by Israel's president to form the next coalition and win a fourth term as prime minister. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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