Likud election pits PM against anti-pullout plan 'rebels'

Some 90 percent of eligible Likud party members voted Sunday in an internal election for senior party posts, a closely-watched poll which could influence the success or failure of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan.

The high turn-out is expected to mean a victory for Sharon's candidates for the senior posts. The first results were expected around midnight local time.

The elections for the heads of the influential Likud Central Committee and the party's secretariat pit pro-disengagement candidates loyal to Sharon against the leaders of the Likud "rebel" faction, which opposes the plan to pull out of Gaza and parts of the northern West Bank.

Sharon has been lobbying strongly for a victory in the election, as he has suffered painful defeats over the past year in Likud internal votes tied to the disengagement and to Sharon's vision of an eventual Palestinian state.

The elections are the latest in a series of tests of Sharon's dominance in the party, after two stinging failures over the past several months - the Likud rank-and-file referendum on disengagement and the Likud Central Committee's decision against bringing Labor into the government.

The "rebel" victories have fueled settler opposition to the pullout plan.

If Sharon's candidates win, the result could sap the momentum of anti-withdrawal forces.

Warning of party 'take-over'Rebel leader MK Uzi Landau is running for chairmanship of the Likud Central Committee against cabinet minister Tzachi Hanegbi, who supports the Sharon plan.

"Rebel whip" Michael Ratzon is running for chairman of the Likud secretariat against Agricultural Minister Yisrael Katz - who also opposes disengagement - and against Finance Committee Chairman Abraham Hirchson, who is supported by Sharon and his son, MK Omri Sharon.

In the parallel vote for the Likud executive committee, MK Gilad Erdan is running opposite Sharon-favorite Health Minister Dan Naveh.

Associates of Sharon and his son warned at the weekend that "rebels" could take over the party.

They said such a takeover could strengthen Likud extremist groups like that of Moshe Feiglin, and undermine the party's foundations.

"If Uzi, Micky [Ratzon] and Gilad take the vote, the Likud is in serious trouble," is one of the messages being sent over the past few days by Omri Sharon's allies. "We will become Feiglins."

Likud rebels demand observers in votesThe Likud tribunal acceded to an appeal filed by former minister Landau, obligating the party to station observers at polling stations in the internal election and during the tallying of votes.

Landau maintained there was a potential for irregularities in voting following the original decision not to have the observers at polling stations.

Landau also argued that during the vote on Labor's joining the government it became clear that the system in operation could not be trusted and there was a real concern that computers might once again crash.

The race between Landau and Hanegbi is expected to be neck and neck. It is believed that a greater voter turnout will favor Hanegbi's chances of winning.

Although Sharon favors Hirchson for chairman of the Likud secretariat, he is not working against one of Hirchson's two opponents, Yisrael Katz. In spite of ideological differences with Katz, working relations between the two are good. Efforts have therefore focused on preventing a win by former deputy minister Ratzon.

	Likud MK Uzi Landau meeting security guards at a polling site for internal Likud elections on Sunday. (Alon Ron)