Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, who lost the Kadima Party primaries to Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, is expected to reject an offer by Livni to stand at the helm of her election campaign.

While Livni is expected to take steps towards brining Mofaz into her camp, his close associates feel Mofaz remains uncertain regarding Livni’s plans for Kadima in the future, as well as having doubts regarding her desire to mend fences between the two.

“Even if he is secured in the second slot she has yet to really show a willingness to work with him,” aides to Mofaz told the media.

Livni supporters insist this just isn’t so, insisting she is seeking to put the primaries behind and work towards a united future towards winning the election and forming a government.

In a related matter, Livni campaign officials are investigating just how to repair ties with the Russian-speaking community. Most of the Kadima members from the FSU, who joined when Ariel Sharon launched the party, and remained when Olmert assumed the leadership mantle, left during the past two year.

These former members represent a formidable support base. Somewhat ironically but most likely not coincidentally, two Russian members of the party, MKs Marina Solodkin and Ze’ev Elkin are weighing their future in Kadima.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)