Olmert eyes victory in Israeli polls

Olmert, the loyal deputy who was catapulted to power when Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a massive stroke 12 weeks ago, is tipped to beat his rivals before starting the major task of separating from the Palestinians.

The final crop of opinion polls published 24 hours before the polling stations open put Olmert's Kadima party well ahead of its rivals with 34 seats in the 120-member parliament, if slightly fewer than in previous surveys.

Yet in an essentially lacklustre campaign for an election Kadima has always been expected to win, the last polls provoked concern over a significant proportion of undecided voters and the rising fortunes of the extreme right.

Olmert's main rivals, leader of the centre-left Labour Amir Peretz, was set to emerge the second force in parliament, while chairman of the right-wing Likud Benjamin Netanyhu was left facing the prospect of electoral disaster.

The Yediot Aharonot daily forecast Labour would win 21 seats -- one up from its current 20 in parliament -- and Likud 13 in Tuesday's election.

A rival survey published by the populist Maariv newspaper gave Kadima 34 seats, Labour 17, Likud 14 and Yisrael Beitenu 12.

The Yediot poll predicted that the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu would win 12 mandates and the ultra-Orthodox Shas 11, making them both potential kingmakers in the rush to form a governing coalition after the ballot.

A poll broadcast on Channel Two television predicted the extreme right Yisrael Beitenu could even topple Likud as the third force in parliament.