Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni appeared to have cruised to victory today in an election to succeed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as leader of the ruling party, exit polls by major broadcasters showed.
Two polls, published by Channels 1 and 10, gave Livni at least a 10-point lead over Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz and well above the 40 per cent threshold in the four-person race to secure outright victory without a run-off ballot.
Livni faces several obstacles, however, before she can replace the scandal-hit Olmert as premier and become Israel's first woman leader since Golda Meir in the 1970s.
Olmert, who has said he will resign as he faces indictment for corruption, plans to stay on in a caretaker capacity to continue U.S.-sponsored peace negotiations with the Palestinians while Livni tries to forge a new governing coalition.
Many believe that, whatever the outcome in Israel's fractious, multi-party politics, an early parliamentary election is likely in the new year.
Channel 1's exit poll gave Livni 47 per cent to Mofaz's 37 per cent. Channel 10 gave Mofaz that same score and Livni 49 percent.
Party officials said just over half of the 74,000 members of the centrist Kadima party voted. Polling stations were due to close at 10:30 p.m
Reuters