Tel Aviv - Tzipi Livni, winner of the leadership contest in Israel's ruling Kadima party, said Thursday morning she will work to set up a governing coalition as soon as possible, to ensure stability.

"We have to deal with threats which are not simple," she told supporters at sunrise, shortly after she was declared winner of the bitterly-contested leadership primary.

Livni, currently Israel's foreign minister, called on Kadima to close ranks, saying the responsibility she now held was not just hers alone, but that of everyone.

Tel Aviv - Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni won a narrow victory in the leadership primary of Israel's Kadima party, defeating her main rival, Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz, by only a handful of votes, Israel Radio reported early Thursday morning.

Livni won with 43.1 per cent, compared to 42 per cent for Mofaz, a difference of only 431 votes.

Tel Aviv - Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is leading over her main rival, Shaul Mofaz, in the primaries of Israel's ruling Kadima party, first results show.

With some 10 per cent of the votes counted by midnight, Livni stands at 53.1 per cent of the vote, against 31.7 for Transportation Minister Mofaz.

The other two candidates, Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit and Public Security Minister Avi Dichter, have thus far obtained 10.3 per cent and 4.8 per cent of the vote respectively, Israel Radio reported.

Tel Aviv  - Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is leading over her main rival, Shaul Mofaz, in the primaries of Israel's ruling Kadima party, first results show.

With some 10 per cent of the votes counted by midnight, Livni stands at 53.1 per cent of the vote, against 31.7 for Transportation Minister Mofaz.

The other two candidates, Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit and Public Security Minister Avi Dichter, have thus far obtained 10.3 per cent and 4.8 per cent of the vote respectively, Israel Radio reported.

Tel Aviv  - Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has overwhelmingly won Wednesday's primaries in the ruling Kadima party, giving her a good chance of becoming Israel's next prime minister and the second woman ever to run the country, exit polls predicted.

Livni won between 47 and 49 per cent of the vote, according to three independent exit polls broadcast by Israel's Channel 2, Channel 10 and Channel 1 State Television stations.

Her main rival, hawkish Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz, obtained 37 per cent of the vote, all three polls predicted.

Jerusalem - She was elected by Ti