A woman speaks on a mobile phone as she walks past different Israeli election campaign posters in Jerusalem. The poster in the center depicts images of acting prime minister and leader of the Kadima party Ehud Olmert(L), Tzahi Hanegbi(C) and Omri Sharon, the son of ailing prime minister Ariel Sharon, and reads, "Kadima to Jail."(AFP/Menahem Kahana)
JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israel's general election campaign entered its final week with opposition challengers buoyed by a new poll which showed a significant drop in support for the ruling Kadima party.Although acting premier Ehud Olmert remains on course to stay in power after the March 28 polling day, the focus is narrowing to his potential coalition partners who could hinder his grand project to fix Israel's permanent borders.
The latest survey carried by public television late Monday projected that Kadima would win 35 seats in the 120-member parliament, five down on similar surveys carried out last week....
The Maariv newspaper said that the public appeared to be consumed by apathy for an election whose result was more or less known despite its potential ramifications.
"It is hard to recall an election campaign which was more fateful for the future of the country, the political system and the social map than that of 2006," said a front-page editorial. "How is it possible that after all that, the public is sunk deep in apathy? What is happening to us?"
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