Chaos Erupts in Likud Primaries as Members Denied Voting Rights

During the Likud party primaries held recently, dozens of registered members who renewed their membership fees about a month prior to the vote claimed they were not allowed to vote. The issue centers on the party's voter eligibility list, which only includes about half of the 300,000 registered members due to an 18-month eligibility period and a 78-shekel annual fee requirement. Some members who paid their fees on time found themselves excluded from the voter list on election day, with reports of discrepancies even among spouses with similar registration details and cases where members paying with the same credit card had differing voting rights.

This controversy is particularly significant for organized factions and power brokers within Likud, who had mobilized members to renew fees before the deadline. Party insiders warn that if some of these renewed members were removed from the voter rolls, it could distort the actual strength of these groups in the primaries. The party has yet to respond officially to these allegations. Meanwhile, turnout for the primaries was reported at 53.5%.