The winner of Wednesday's Kadima primary completed months of campaigning, but their work has just begun. When the votes are counted a process will begin that could lead either to the formation of a new government led by the new Kadima leader or to a general election. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was expected to announce after press time when he intends to fulfill his commitment to resign soon after the primary. He pledged last week that he would keep the promise to quit that he made in a July 30 press conference and that he would not engage in "manipulations." But Olmert's associates said Wednesday that he would wait until all the votes were in to decide whether to submit his resignation letter to President Shimon Peres on Thursday morning or to wait until after Rosh Hashana to quit. They said he first wanted to see whether a candidate received the 40 percent of the vote necessary to avoid a runoff race next Wednesday between the top two finishers. When Olmert quits, all his ministers will automatically quit with him. But he will remain the prime minister of a caretaker government and all his ministers will remain in office as well until a new government is formed. Once Olmert does resign, Peres has seven days to appoint an MK to form a new government. He will first meet with the heads of the Knesset factions and ask them whom they would like him to assign that task. Peres is expected to formally entrust the Kadima winner with the task of forming a government before he leaves to head Israel's delegation to the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday afternoon. The Kadima winner will then begin negotiations with the factions that make up the current coalition as well as others from the opposition. The new Kadima leader will have 28 days to form a government, but they can ask Peres for a 14-day extension. Exit polls showed Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni winning, with a lead of some 10 percentage points over Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz. The goal will be to have a government ready in time for when the Knesset reconvenes on October 26, after the Succot. If they are able to form a new government, it could last until the Knesset's term is officially set to end in November 2010. If the Kadima winner cannot form a new coalition, they will likely pass a bill in the Knesset setting a date for a general election in February or March. Meanwhile. Olmert would remain prime minister of the caretaker government until the winner of that race forms a government, which could take two months. If the state prosecution decides to indict Olmert while he is still in office, he would not be legally required to leave office, but chances are that he would not be able to resist the pressure to do so. Olmert's vice prime minister would then automatically take over. That title is currently held by Livni, but if another candidate wins the Kadima primary, the title would likely be shifted to him. Until Olmert actually leaves office, Israel will for the first time ever have a prime minister who is not the leader of his party.