Netanyahu, Livni declare win in Israeli election

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-02-11 08:03

JERUSALEM -- Moderate Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and her hard-line rival Benjamin Netanyahu each declared victory in Israel's election Tuesday --despite exit polls and early results that showed a slight edge for Livni.

Regardless of who gets the most votes, however, Netanyahu's Likud Party appeared to have the upper hand in forming a ruling coalition thanks to strong showing by other right-wing parties.

Israel's Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu (3rd L) holds hands with party members at their party headquarters in Tel Aviv February 11, 2009.. [Agencies]

"With God's help, I will lead the next government," Netanyahu told a raucous crowd of cheering supporters chanting his nickname Bibi. "The national camp, led by the Likud, has won a clear advantage."

Livni aides made similar comments about her winning the election.

Even if she could overcome the formidable obstacles and become Israel's second female prime minister after Golda Meir, the early results suggest she would have to rely on the participation of right-wing parties opposed to her vision of giving up land in exchange for a peace deal with the Palestinians.

Nevertheless, applause, cheers and whistling erupted at Kadima headquarters in Tel Aviv as television stations began reporting their exit polls, with supporters jumping up and down and giving each other high-fives and hugs.

Exit polls gave Livni's Kadima Party a two-seat lead over Likud in the 120-seat Knesset, or parliament. With 27 percent of the actual votes counted, Kadima had a one-seat advantage -- 27 to 26.

Israeli exit polls have not always been reliable, especially when the vote is close, but the projected results marked a dramatic slide for Netanyahu, who had held a solid lead in opinion polls heading into the election.

Early projections showed hard-line parties winning as many as 66 seats in the 120-member parliament, while liberal parties captured just 54 seats.

Israelis vote for parties, not individuals. Since no party won a parliamentary majority, the leader of one of the major parties must try to put together a coalition with other factions -- a process that can take up to six weeks.

In coming days, President Shimon Peres will ask the leader who he believes is most capable of forming a coalition to try to put together a government.

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