Olmert declares victory for his Kadima party

JERUSALEM – Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared victory for his centrist Kadima party in Israel’s elections Tuesday, vowing to act on his own if necessary to draw Israel’s final borders and “painfully” uproot Jewish settlers if negotiations with the Palestinians are not possible.

Standing below a massive portrait of his mentor Ariel Sharon, Olmert addressed chanting Kadima members as it became clear the party had won enough seats in parliament to form a ruling coalition.

Building on the vision of Sharon, who formed the party shortly before succumbing to a devastating stroke that left him in a coma, Olmert claimed a mandate to withdraw from much of the West Bank and set Israel’s borders, which he has said he will do by 2010.

With 99.7 percent of polling stations accounted for, Kadima was winning 28 of 120 seats in parliament, the Election Commission reported early today.

The turnout was the lowest in Israel’s history, and the results showed voters turning away from conventional political parties to an assortment of third parties with agendas ranging from pensioner rights to the legalization of marijuana. The aftermath will likely be a period of difficult negotiations between Olmert and potential coalition partners.

“Today, Israeli democracy has spoken its piece, in a loud and clear voice,” Olmert declared. “Israel wants Kadima,” which means forward in Hebrew.

Olmert said he was ready for new peace talks and was prepared to make painful compromises such as uprooting some Jewish settlements in the West Bank and allowing Palestinians to have a state. But he demanded that the Palestinians be willing to compromise in return.

Olmert has said he would govern only with parties that accept his program, and projections showed a center-left coalition capturing 61 to 65 seats in the 120-member parliament. The hawkish parties fell far short of their plan to win enough seats to block Olmert’s program.

Olmert, the vice prime minister and former mayor of Jerusalem, took over the party after Sharon suffered a devastating Jan. 4 stroke and immediately became the favorite to win the elections. Much of Kadima’s campaign was built around Sharon, Israel’s most popular politician, and his legacy resonated with many voters.