BICOM

The Knesset last night approved passage of the so-called ‘Norwegian Law’ which will permit ministers and deputy ministers from coalition parties to resign their Knesset seat while in office, to be replaced by the next name on the party’s list of parliamentary candidates.

The Knesset Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee passed the bill late Tuesday and the plenum voted for the legislation yesterday with 64 in favour, 51 against. Given that around one third of Knesset members are ministers or deputy ministers, the measure which is based on the model of Norway’s government, is designed to free additional Knesset members to undertake routine legislative work. It is also meant to better delineate the separation of powers between executive and legislature.

However, critics of the new law have said that it is merely a backdoor measure by which candidates who narrowly missed out on being elected can enter the Knesset. It is thought that Jewish Home will take advantage of the new law to allow former MK Shuli Mualem-Refaeli to re-join the Knesset and that Shas will similarly use the measure for former MK Avraham Michaeli to return to parliament. There is speculation that both Jewish Home leader, Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Shas leader, Economy Minister Aryeh Deri will both resign their Knesset seats to enable these changes. Under the new law, should a minister or deputy minister leave office, they will once again assume their Knesset seat at the expense of their replacement MK.

Controversially, the new legislation was passed as a temporary order, by-passing the need to alter a Basic Law which carries constitutional weight. Zionist Union MK and former-Justice Minister Tzipi Livni said, “Constitutional changes are not done on a personal basis but through a thorough discussion of what is right and proper to do.” She added that in essence “we are dealing with a law which hands out some jobs to some party members.” The Knesset will today begin an extended summer recess.