Unofficial count gives Olmert's party 28 seats in parliament

With 99.7 percent of polling stations accounted for, acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima Party was winning 28 of 120 seats in parliament, the Election Commission reported early Wednesday.

Photo: Unofficial count gives Olmert's party 28 seats in parliament

The center-left Labor Party came in as a strong second, winning 20 seats. The hawkish Likud won 11 seats.

Other results included the Orthodox Jewish Shas with 13, Israel Beitenu 12, National Union-National Religious Party 9, Pensioners 7, Torah Judaism 6 and Meretz 4. The three Arab parties had 10 seats altogether.

Army Radio reported the same figures with 100 percent of the stations counted.

Officials said that even after 100 percent of the polling stations are accounted for, they would still have to count the votes of soldiers and Israelis who voted in locations other than their home stations, like invalids and election workers, so the total vote count would not be completed until Friday, reports the AP.

I.L.