Yacimovich touts new Labor list format ahead of meeting
By JPOST.COM STAFF
Labor leader Shelly Yacimovich touted proposed changes to how the party's list is chosen ahead of a Labor central committee meeting on Tuesday, saying it was "the right thing" and that the party "should have done it a long time ago."Yacimovich seeks to change the list’s format from having saved spots, to one of ensured representation – meaning that, if a candidate from Jerusalem is elected to one of the top spots on the list, then the 31st slot will no longer be saved for a Jerusalem resident.The change also means that all candidates will be elected via the regular primary list, and not in a special vote in each districts.Yacimovich faces some internal opposition from long-time party activists who believe the addition of new faces and "celebrities" to the party jeopardizes their positions, and privileges visibility and wealth."My responsibility is to build a good, balanced list that will bring more mandates, not fewer mandates," Yacimovich said in an interview with Army Radio.When asked why she didn't make a decision to increase the proportion of women required on the list to a higher threshold, Yacimovich said, "There's no such thing as 'my decision.' We are not Yvette Liberman, we are not Shas, we are a democratic party."Lahav Harkov contributed to this report.Israeli cabinet to meet on Thursday evening at the Kirya
