Likud MK Gideon Sa'ar says he wants Benjamin Netanyahu to be president

Likud cancels primaries for list.

By GIL HOFFMAN
Gideon Sa'ar (L) and Benjamin Netanyahu (R) (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Gideon Sa'ar (L) and Benjamin Netanyahu (R)
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
The Likud will run the same list of candidates for the March 2 election as it did in the September and April races, an internal Likud court decided on Monday.
The Likud court overturned a decision by a court with fewer judges last Thursday to require a new primary to elect a new list. Among the reasons for not holding the primary is that there would not be enough time ahead of the January 15 deadline for parties to submit their lists to the Central Elections Committee.
The Likud judges asked if the deadline to submit the party's list could be extended.
The request to cancel the primary was made by Likud MKs Keti Sheetrit, Shlomo Karhi and Keren Barak. Among those who petitioned the court to be permitted to run was former Jerusalem city councilman Yair Gabai, who argued that there was enough time for the race.
Had the Likud had a primary, the taxpayers would have had to pay for the campaigns of the incumbent MKs, according to a new law passed last year that was sponsored by MK David Amsalem.
There will still be a Likud leadership race on Thursday. Voting hours for the race were extended because of a weather forecast predicting a 90 percent chance of rain.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu campaigned on Monday in Rosh Ha'ayin, Herzliya and Ariel and his challenger, MK Gideon Sa'ar in Netanya.
Sa'ar told the crowd in Netanya that if elected, he would help Netanyahu run for president when Reuven Rivlin's term ends in two years.