Labor's 60,000 members set to vote in party primary

Party moves to semi-computerized primary after Likud computers crash; Yacimovich hopes results don't pull Labor too far left.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Labor party chairwoman Shelly Yacimovich 370 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Labor party chairwoman Shelly Yacimovich 370
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Labor leader Shelly Yacimovich expressed concerns over a list that is “too left-wing,” as the party prepared for Thursday’s primary.
Labor’s 60,424 members will vote in 140 booths in 68 locations from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday. Only those who joined the party at least six months ago are eligible to participate in the primary.
Yacimovich said she hopes that the results of the primary do not pull the party too far to the left, following weeks in which she had labeled Labor as “centrist.”“I want a balanced list,” she told activists on Tuesday night.
“In an absurd way, I have a challenge that is similar to that of [Prime Minister] Binyamin Netanyahu,” Yacimovich said, referring to the outcome of the Likud primary.
“He also doesn’t want some people in his party.”
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The Labor leader said voters should not think of right and left on diplomatic and security matters when they vote, pointing out that Netanyahu behaved similarly to other prime ministers in Operation Pillar of Defense, but should think about socioeconomic issues.
“For once, break the voting pattern of voting on borders, and vote on what happens within the borders,” Yacimovich stated.
In the weeks after the election was called, Yacimovich held press conferences with primary candidates she prefers, like her former aide Michal Biran, former National Union of Israeli Students chairman Itzik Shmuly and religious-Zionist educator Chili Tropper, but has avoided contact and public appearances with those further to the left, such as Peace Now secretary-general Yariv Oppenheimer and feminist columnist Merav Michaeli.
While some of Yacimovich’s star candidates are expected to do well in the primary, others have made alliances to boost their position in the party.
Former Labor leader Amir Peretz recently reconciled with Histadrut chairman Ofer Eini after years of disputes; both are former Yacimovich allies whose relationship with her soured. Peretz also received a boost in popularity from Operation Pillar of Defense, as he pushed the Iron Dome missile defense system ahead when he was defense minister, and supports MKs Eitan Cabel, Daniel Ben-Simon and Ghaleb Majadle.
Also this week, Labor made several changes to its primary system after observing trends in the Likud vote on Sunday and Monday.
The primary will be semi-computerized, after Likud’s digital election system crashed. Labor members will vote on paper forms, which will be scanned and counted by computer.
Results are expected to come in early Friday morning.
This is not the first time Labor has dealt with computer troubles. In 2008, the party postponed its primary by eight days, after the computers used for the vote did not work properly.
Labor also decided this week not to publicize results in different regions, minimizing the influence of pressure groups, because they will not be able to check whether their members voted for the candidates they support.
In addition, the voting will be by name, not numerical, in an attempt to ensure party members know the candidates they are electing and are not voting from a list prepared by someone else.
“We worked hard and with great responsibility and reached the best decision, which allows for an organized, democratic and free election,” Labor secretary-general Hilik Bar said.
“The party will take every step to have a clean vote.”