Kadima MKs approve cancellation of party primary

Mofaz to head selection committee for next Knesset list in order to allow party to "concentrate efforts against PM Netanyahu."

By LAHAV HARKOV
Shaul Mofaz at Kadima faction meeting 370 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Shaul Mofaz at Kadima faction meeting 370
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Kadima MKs voted to cancel the party’s primary on Sunday, choosing instead to form a committee to select its candidates list for the 19th Knesset.
The decision passed almost unanimously, with only MK Majallie Whbee abstaining from the vote after vocally opposing the primary’s cancellation, and seven MKs absent.
Kadima leader Shaul Mofaz explained to the MKs that canceling the party primary would help them “concentrate our efforts against Netanyahu,” and promised to present them with the criteria for forming the list.
MK Ronnie Bar-On proposed that Mofaz head the committee, and that other members of the panel should not be MKs, while MK Meir Sheetrit suggested that the top five MKs on Kadima’s list should form the committee.
Bar-On’s idea was accepted, and Mofaz will appoint two non-MKs to help him choose who will populate the new list.
A party insider said that Mofaz is likely to choose Kadima secretary-general Shraga Brosh as one of the two committee members.
The move still needs to be authorized by the Kadima Council, which will convene on Thursday, but the Kadima source said Mofaz has been speaking to central party activists and is not expected to have a problem finalizing the change. Mofaz will also ask the council to waive the requirement to bring the cancellation to a vote by all Kadima members.
After the meeting, Whbee explained that he opposed the selection committee because it is undemocratic.
“Kadima needs to engage in self-examination and think why we reached this situation.
We were the largest party in the Knesset, and look what happened after the leadership race [that Mofaz won],” he said.
Whbee lamented the unfairness of having to “put [his] head in the hands of other people” by having a selection committee, whose criteria were not publicized.
Last week, when the change was under consideration, MK Ze’ev Bielski said “at this time, a committee is the right thing to do. Elections are very soon, and we should try to create a better, higherquality list to bring back our voters.”
Since polls show Kadima shrinking to a third or less of its current 28 seats, Bielski said the faction must recognize reality and be prepared to make sacrifices for the good of the party.
Fellow Kadima MK Yuval Zellner added that “now is not the time for internal wars. We need to be united to face other parties.”