Livni to supporters: Not voting is out of the question

"Don't get intoxicated by perfume of polls."

By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN
Tzipi Livni headshot 224.88 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimksi )
Tzipi Livni headshot 224.88
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimksi )
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni declared war on voter complacency ahead of Wednesday's Kadima primary, in a rally at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds Sunday that closed out her campaign. Speaking under a banner with the slogan, "Only with Tzipi Livni can Kadima win," Livni cautioned her supporters against taking too seriously polls indicating that she could beat her closest rival in the race, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, by as much as 20 percent. "I know there are people who feel that joining the party and staying at home on election day is enough," Livni said. "But this election is not just about who will head Kadima, but about who the next prime minister will be, and that's why staying home on election day is unacceptable. To not take a stand is an improper act." Livni compared the fragrance of the polls to perfume, but did not give credit to President Shimon Peres, who originated the comparison when he said that polls were nice to smell but harmful to drink. "Don't get intoxicated by the perfume of the polls and don't listen to people who say the victory is guaranteed," Livni said. "Don't let any amount of support misguide you, because you have to decide who the next prime minister of Israel will be. "On Wednesday night, that heavy responsibility will move from your shoulders and I will put it on my shoulders when I become prime minister of Israel," she said. Livni was heckled outside the event by a group of university student leaders seeking lower tuition. The same group had heckled her in Haifa last week. A source close to Livni accused Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu of sending the students. Livni received the backing of 10 Kadima MKs who attended the event. Her highest-ranking supporter, Finance Minister Ronnie Bar-On, lashed out at Mofaz. "If Barak, Bibi, the workers' unions and the port unions want Mofaz, that proves that we need Tzipi," Bar-On said. Some 74,000 Kadima members will be eligible to vote in 114 polling stations in 93 localities across the country. A team of 114 lawyers will be deployed at the polling stations to ensure that there are no irregularities. Polls will open at 10 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. Results are not expected until late into the night, because the voting is not computerized.