Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, favourite to replace Ehud Olmert as Kadima party chief, would tie with rightist Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu should snap elections be called, a poll showed yesterday.

With Livni at the helm, centrist Kadima and Netanyahu?s Likud would each garner 28 seats in Israel?s 120-strong parliament, while Defence Minister Ehud Barak?s Labour Party would get 12, a poll published in the Haaretz daily showed.

Likud would beat Kadima by 30 seats to 22, and Labour would win 13 seats, if the ruling party were led by Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz, Livni?s closest rival in the race to replace scandal-hit Olmert in a September 17 leadership contest. Olmert threw Israel into political turmoil that could hamstring Middle East peacemaking by announcing last month that he would step down as premier after Kadima picks his successor.

Olmert is under investigation over allegations he took bribes from a Jewish American businessman and made duplicate claims for travel expenses when he was trade minister and mayor of Jerusalem. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Even after he resigns, Olmert will remain caretaker Prime Minister until his successor builds a new coalition government, a process that could take months. That will give him some time to continue peace talks with the Palestinians and indirect negotiations with Syria, but politicians and analysts said he would lack the mandate to make commitments that his successor would be bound to honour.