Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni yesterday emerged a surprise winner in the tight race to replace outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as the leader of the country's ruling party.

Her first job, she said, would be turning immediately to the task of trying to cobble together a new government.

Livni will become Israel's second woman prime minister if she succeeds in keeping the ruling coalition intact or putting together a new one.

Official results gave Livni, a political moderate, 43.1 percent of the vote in the Kadima Party primary elections. Hawkish former military chief and defense minister Shaul Mofaz got 42 percent.

The contest has far-reaching implications for peacemaking with the Palestinians and Syrians, and the results were much closer than the double-digit victory predicted by exit polls on Wednesday night.

"The national responsibility (bestowed) by the public makes me approach this job with great awe," Livni said shortly after the official results were announced.

A fast-rising star in Israel's political firmament, Livni is Israel's lead negotiator in peace talks with the Palestinians and a rare female power figure in a country dominated by macho military men and a religious establishment with strict views on the role of women.

Livni is a lawyer and former agent in the Mossad spy agency who entered politics 9 years ago. She is eager to continue the low-level diplomatic efforts, and hopes international diplomatic efforts to halt Iran's nuclear program will prevail. But, she says all options are on the table.

Her road to the prime minister's chair, however, is not guaranteed and the process could take weeks.

First, Olmert, who is being forced out of office by a corruption scandal, must formally resign, a move that would dissolve the present coalition government. President Shimon Peres then has to ask her to put together a new coalition.

Livni says she wants to keep the coalition intact, but doing so is likely to require tough negotiations over budget funds and Cabinet posts.

Olmert's spokesman, Mark Regev, said the outgoing prime minister called Livni to congratulate her. He said Olmert would resign after the weekly meeting of his cabinet on Sunday, though he declined to discuss the specific timing.

Livni said she would get a head start and launch informal coalition talks today. Once she is formally assigned the task, she will have 42 days to form a new ruling coalition.

Questions:

1. What does Livni need to do to become Prime Minister now?

2. Why is a female prime minister surprising in Israel?

3. What did Livni used to do?

Answers:

1. Keep the ruling coalition intact or put together a new one.

2. It is a country dominated by macho military men and a religious establishment with strict views on the role of women.

3. She was a lawyer and former agent in the Mossad spy agency.