Knesset Legal Adviser Urges Supreme Court to Enforce State Comptroller Revote
Knesset legal adviser Sagit Afik urged the Supreme Court to schedule a repeat vote for State Comptroller, amid friction with Speaker Amir Ohana who sought private representation and opposed the ruling.
The legal adviser to the Knesset, Adv. Sagit Afik, submitted her response to the Supreme Court regarding the petition to convene the parliament for the election of the State Comptroller, reiterating her stance that the ruling must be implemented and a date for the repeat vote set as soon as possible.
"At the same time," the Knesset legal adviser wrote, "given the passage of time since the ruling was handed down, considerations arising from the proximity to elections, the conduct of the Knesset during the recess, and changes in the composition of the Knesset were presented to the court." Afik noted that since the verdict was issued, changes have occurred due to faction splits, MK resignations, and the entry of new members who did not participate in the initial vote.
Last month, it was first reported that in an unusual move, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana sought private representation for the hearings on petitions demanding a revote for the State Comptroller. Ohana opposes the legal adviser's position that the ruling must be carried out, and therefore declined her representation.
Supreme Court Ruling and Criticism
A panel of five Supreme Court justices, led by Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, unanimously ruled that the State Comptroller election was void and ordered a repeat vote in the Knesset. Deputy President Noam Solberg sharply criticized Speaker Ohana in the verdict regarding instructions given to lawmakers before the vote.
The distance between this announcement and the entrenchment of a practice whereby MK votes are documented by them is not great, and the Basic Law provision will become a mockery.
Political Friction Over Compliance
Reports previously indicated that Speaker Ohana, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz expressed opposition in closed consultations to holding a repeat election. Members of Likud reportedly pressured candidates regarding the position despite the court ruling, while Minister Levin publicly called for defying the Supreme Court decision on the matter.
