Why have the repeat elections for State Comptroller not yet taken place - and who are the main beneficiaries?
Contrary to the position of the Knesset's legal advisor, the coalition avoided holding the repeat procedure, but the opposition did not push for it either. It is possible that the petitioners hope to enter the government in the upcoming elections and promote their own candidates. The Chairman of the Israel Bar Association did reach out, but in the absence of an active comptroller, his request remained unanswered.
About two months ago, the Supreme Court disqualified the election of Adv. Michael Ravilo as State Comptroller, but contrary to the ruling that determined a repeat procedure must be held, the elections have not taken place to this day. Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana has declared that he does not intend to comply with the ruling, stating that "the Knesset has already had its say." He even used this decision as part of his campaign in the Likud primaries, turning it into a slogan: "The Supreme Court commands - and Ohana ignores."
Ohana's decision was made contrary to the position of the Knesset's legal advisor, Sarit Afek, who determined that the Knesset must comply with the ruling within two weeks of its receipt—about a month and a half ago. According to her legal opinion, there is no obstacle to holding elections for the State Comptroller even after the dissolution of the Knesset.
However, it is not only the coalition that is currently avoiding the repeat elections; the opposition parties, some of which were behind the petition to the Supreme Court, are also not insisting on their demand. The petitioners could have filed a "contempt of court motion" to enforce the verdict. It is possible that the reason the opposition is refraining from filing such a request is a preference to hold the elections for the State Comptroller only after the general elections, as a victory would allow them to propose additional candidates.
Despite this, the Chairman of the Israel Bar Association, Adv. Amit Bachar, filed a letter exhausting legal proceedings. He sent his request to Ohana, demanding that the comptroller prevent the publication on ynet and in "Yedioth Ahronoth" regarding the correspondence of the gatekeepers in the Bar Association. He also requested an investigation to locate the source of the alleged leak. To Bachar's regret, in the absence of an active comptroller, there was no one to act in his favor.
During an election period, one of the functions of the State Comptroller is to audit the accounts of parties running in the Knesset elections, as well as the accounts of factions and candidates in local government elections. In addition, the comptroller audits the current accounts of parties represented in the Knesset. These audits have in the past yielded scathing reports against some parties, and sometimes even criminal investigations, as in the case of Balad. While the audit takes place after the elections, the comptroller is also responsible for retrospectively checking the functioning of the Central Election Committee itself.
