No more "Acting" Prime Minister

Ehud Olmert, Sharon's loyal sidekick will be rewarded today with an election victory. His next task is to form a coalition - which is likely to include Labor on the left (who are likely to demand the coveted treasury portfolio) and Meretz (who are likely to seek soft portfolios like education, environment, etc). All parties joining the coalition will agree to the notion of Israel forgoing most of the west bank and drawing its own borders - unilaterally if need be - within four years.

At the time of writing the election is still taking place and there seems to be a very low turnout, which is bad news for Kadima. I would therefore expect Kadima to get a result in the mid 30's rather than anything in the 40's and to expect a very narrow coalition with Labour and Meretz. Depending on the final results, there may be a need to invite additional parties to ensure a more stable coalition.

Ehud Olmert is getting one of the toughest jobs on this planet. Let's hope to G-d he is up for the job.