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Kadima wins; Labor crashes - exit polls (UPDATED)

Israel Materials 11 February 2009 00:11 (UTC +04:00)

Head of leadership in the elections in Israel, the party "Kadima" Tzipi Livni announced this night her intention to form and lead a government of national unity, RIA Novosti reported.

Kadima wins elections, but will it form the next government? Kadima and its Chairwoman, Tzipi Livni, are the big winners of the 2009 general elections, according to a Rafi Smith exit poll commissioned by Ynet, with Likud finishing a disappointing 2nd, ynet reported.

Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu delivered at crunch time to become Israel's third-largest party, while Ehud Barak's Labor party sustained a harsh blow. Exit polls by Israel's major television channels showed similar results

According to the Rafi Smith poll, Kadima won 28 Knesset seats, Likud came in second with 26 mandates, Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu won 16 seats, and Labor won 14 mandates.

Allegations of voting irregularities surfaced just hours after the polling stations opened. The Meretz party filed a complaint with the Central Elections Committee claiming the party's ballots at a Jerusalem polling station were tampered with.

Livni called on Israel's citizens to carry out their civic duty, saying "rain or shine, you stand behind the curtain at the polling station, close your eyes and imagine - not out of fear or desperation - how you would like to feel once the election results are announced."

Despite his narrow gap in exit polls behind the ruling Kadima Party of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu claimed victory in Tuesday's Israeli elections and said he would become Israel's next prime minister, dpa reported.

He noted the right wing block had become a majority in the Knesset and his Likud had more than doubled its mandate in the Israeli Parliament.

That, he said, "has one clear meaning, that the people want change. The people want to travel a new path. Our path has won and we will be the path that will lead the nation."

"With the help of God, we will stand at the head of the next government," the former Israeli premier said.

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