Israelis vote on new leader

Members of Israel's ruling party voted yesterday for a new leader to replace Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who has promised to resign following a corruption investigation in which he faces indictment.

But whether Tzipi Livni or fellow Cabinet minister Shaul Mofaz secures the support of a majority of the 74,000 members of the centrist Kadima party, Olmert may stay on as caretaker premier for weeks or months - and Israel's fractious coalition politics could yet mean an early parliamentary election.

Ballot boxes in dozens of party offices and other venues across the country opened at 10 am (0700 GMT).