Four candidates in final stretch of battle for Jerusalem

           In a race being hailed as a turning point in determining the city's character, Jerusalem elects a new mayor Tuesday amid increasing concerns over the capital's demographic makeup and economic future. Voters will get to select both their choice for mayor and their preferred list for the city council, where 13 parties are vying for 31-seats. The mayoral election is expected to be determined by the level of non-haredi turnout and the critical vote of the national-religious sector. A candidate must garner at least 40 percent of the vote to win outright; otherwise, the two top vote-getters face a run-off election in two weeks. Jerusalem opposition leader Nir Barkat, a hi-tech millionaire who has served on the city council for the past five years, is running against MK Meir Porush of the United Torah Judaism Party, a veteran haredi legislator who was selected by his party to replace Mayor Uri Lupolianski, and Russian-Israeli tycoon Arkadi Gaydamak. Gaydamak entered unchartered territory in the campaign by avidly courting the city's Arab voters. An eleventh-hour candidate, Dan Biron of the Green Leaf Party - which favors legalizing marijuana - rounds out the list, but he is expected to garner only a symbolic show of support. Meanwhile, a still-unknown number of Arab residents who may defy warnings by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority to boycott the vote are said to be backing Gaydamak. To win, Barkat, who has presented detailed economic and educational working plans for the city, needs a strong turnout - and support - among secular and national-religious voters. Only a third of non-haredi voters turned out to vote in the last elections, compared to 85% of the haredi public. Political observers are keeping a close eye on the outcomes of Tuesday's elections in Arab cities and local authorities, where some races are expected to be particularly tight and where political parties often contend with clan-based voting. In Nazareth, Israel's largest Arab city, long-time Mayor Ramiz Jaraisy of the Nazareth Democratic Front - a part of Hadash - is competing with Ahmad Zoubi, who is running on a unified list alongside representatives of the Islamic Movement. Both candidates say they are the most qualified to maintain the unity of the city, where tensions periodically flare between the city's Muslim and minority Christian population. In the northern city of Umm el-Fahm, the northern branch of the Islamic Movement has been in control for nearly 20 years and is extremely popular. The movement's candidate for mayor, Khaled Hamdan, was chosen to run over the current mayor, Hashim Abdul Rahman, who has held the position for the last five years. Two secular candidates are also running, one supported by Hadash and Balad, the other supported by a radical, nationalistic party called "Abna el-Balad." However, the secular opposition in Umm el-Fahm has been "very unsuccessful," Rekhess said, with the Islamic candidate for mayor earning 75 percent of the vote in the last elections. In the town of Rahat, near Beersheba, the more moderate southern branch of the Islamic Movement is trying to regain control of this important Arab population center. The movement controled the town from 1989 to 1993 and then again from 1998 to 2001, but hasn't dominated since. The current mayor, Talal el-Qarinawi, is an independent candidate who has served since 2001. He is vying against Islamic Movement candidate Faiz Abu Tzeyban as well as two independent candidates. Issues range from employment to education to infrastructure, said Ali Abu Hassan, the municipality's secretary. (07,15)