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CNN Live At Daybreak

Polls Show Sharon Will Win Decisively

Aired January 28, 2003 - 05:10   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now to Israel for that big vote, but no big surprises are expected. Polls show Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will win decisively. But what does it mean to you?
Our Jerrold Kessel joins us from Tel Aviv, from a polling station with the latest on the parliamentary election -- good morning.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And there have been some brisk voting, but not nearly as brisk as usual. Israelis normally turn out in droves and early on. But this time, as we'll see in this particular polling station where we're at, it's empty at the moment.

Now, at this time in the morning, normally you would have had a cue of voters. But really they're not here and after three hours you had a 10 percent turnout in the polls. And that's way down and, in fact, is the lowest recorded any in an Israeli election. And the reason that's significant is because although, as you rightly say, the pollsters are saying Mr. Sharon and his Likud Party will come out on top, a low percentage turnout could have a dramatic effect on their polls and that could be the thing that could confound the pollsters and maybe provide something of a surprise. I don't think a real surprise, but it could change the constellation and that could mean Mr. Sharon would have even more difficulty than ever of forming a solid coalition after the elections -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jerrold, we're putting a lot of energy into covering the Israeli elections. Tell us again why Americans should care about this.

KESSEL: Well, I don't know if you can say it like that, but I think it is very important for the United States and I think the Bush administration has been watching this election very, very closely. There's no secret that the administration would like to see a stable government, would like to see Mr. Sharon, who -- Mr. Bush clearly understands the shape of the Middle East, understands where Israel is in terms of the possibility, probably, as it's seen here, a probability of a war in Iraq, and beyond that, he has that.

But beyond that, the question of stability. The United States would like to see a stable government in Israel. We could have a degree of instability, as I say, in the forming of a new coalition, and that would be worrisome to the United States -- Carol.

COSTELLO: It certainly would.

Jerrold Kessel reporting live from Tel Aviv this morning.

Don't miss CNN's special live coverage of the Israeli vote hosted by our Christiane Amanpour. That comes your way today at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, 12:00 Pacific Time, and that's the time the polls close in Israel.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 28, 2003 - 05:10   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now to Israel for that big vote, but no big surprises are expected. Polls show Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will win decisively. But what does it mean to you?
Our Jerrold Kessel joins us from Tel Aviv, from a polling station with the latest on the parliamentary election -- good morning.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And there have been some brisk voting, but not nearly as brisk as usual. Israelis normally turn out in droves and early on. But this time, as we'll see in this particular polling station where we're at, it's empty at the moment.

Now, at this time in the morning, normally you would have had a cue of voters. But really they're not here and after three hours you had a 10 percent turnout in the polls. And that's way down and, in fact, is the lowest recorded any in an Israeli election. And the reason that's significant is because although, as you rightly say, the pollsters are saying Mr. Sharon and his Likud Party will come out on top, a low percentage turnout could have a dramatic effect on their polls and that could be the thing that could confound the pollsters and maybe provide something of a surprise. I don't think a real surprise, but it could change the constellation and that could mean Mr. Sharon would have even more difficulty than ever of forming a solid coalition after the elections -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jerrold, we're putting a lot of energy into covering the Israeli elections. Tell us again why Americans should care about this.

KESSEL: Well, I don't know if you can say it like that, but I think it is very important for the United States and I think the Bush administration has been watching this election very, very closely. There's no secret that the administration would like to see a stable government, would like to see Mr. Sharon, who -- Mr. Bush clearly understands the shape of the Middle East, understands where Israel is in terms of the possibility, probably, as it's seen here, a probability of a war in Iraq, and beyond that, he has that.

But beyond that, the question of stability. The United States would like to see a stable government in Israel. We could have a degree of instability, as I say, in the forming of a new coalition, and that would be worrisome to the United States -- Carol.

COSTELLO: It certainly would.

Jerrold Kessel reporting live from Tel Aviv this morning.

Don't miss CNN's special live coverage of the Israeli vote hosted by our Christiane Amanpour. That comes your way today at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, 12:00 Pacific Time, and that's the time the polls close in Israel.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com