Likud presents Knesset list after delayed primary election

The Likud party early this morning announced its party list for the upcoming general elections scheduled to take place on 10 February. The party's faction chair Gideon Sa'ar won the second spot seat under party leader Benjamin Netanyahu, followed by MK Gilad Erdan and former Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin, with veteran Likud figure Bennie Begin in fifth place. Speaking on stage last night with 41 of the candidates on the list, Chairman Netanyahu called it "the best line up he could hope for." The voting process was extended to 1am (local Israel time) due to complaints over the malfunctions in the computerised system used for voting. In the end, the voter turnout stood at around 49% of the 99,000 eligible party members.

The rest of the list includes, in the following order, Moshe Kahlon, MK Silvan Shalom, former IDF chief of staff Moshe Ya'alon and MK Yuval Steinitz. Limor Livnat secured the 13^th spot and Dan Meridor the 17^th spot. Moshe Feiglin, the right-wing candidate within the party, secured the 20^th spot.

It is widely assessed this morning that Netanyahu would have preferred to see a more moderate list, and may encounter difficulties within his own party if he pursues a moderate agenda as prime minister. Notably, Netanyahu was unsuccessful in preventing the election of Feiglin, a high-profile right-winger whose presence on the list will serve Netanyahu's rivals in presenting Likud as a right-wing party that will not progress the diplomatic route with the Palestinians. With the new administration in Washington, the may prove less than favourable for the next Israeli prime minister.

Political analysts predicated that a high voter turn out of 60 percent would favour the new Likud candidates running in the primaries, while a low turnout would be of assistance to the traditional blue collar Likud voter and to Moshe Feiglin representing the far right in the party. Current general election polls predict a strong result for the Likud party in the February elections, giving the candidates high up on the Likud list a high probability of securing a senior cabinet position in the new government.

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