Judge Joseph Shapira is openly supported by most of the Knesset ahead of
Monday’s state comptroller election, but the vote by hidden ballot may bring
surprises.
Shapira, a Jerusalem District Court judge, is considered the
likely victor in the comptroller race. MK Yariv Levin (Likud) and Kadima faction
chairwoman Dalia Itzik officially nominated Shapira earlier this month, with
signatures of over 70 MKs from most of the Knesset’s factions, including Likud,
Kadima and Yisrael Beytenu.
State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss
officially ends his seven-year term on July 3.
Deputy Supreme Court
President Eliezer Rivlin is also seeking the head of the State Comptroller’s
Office, with 11 MKs signing his nomination letter, including Labor MKs Isaac
Herzog and Eitan Cabel, as well as MK Dov Henin (Hadash).
Although
Shapira has far more support on paper, several MKs – mostly from Kadima – said
they were pressured by their colleagues to support Rivlin.
One of the
reasons legislators mentioned for supporting Rivlin, as opposed to Shapira, is
that a candidate who is not openly supported by the coalition’s largest parties
can bolster the opposition, which currently makes up less than 25 percent of the
Knesset.
Since Monday’s vote is by hidden ballot, parties backing one
candidate will not know if their MKs select the other, an MK who spoke on the
condition of anonymity explained.
Shlomo Kalderon, president of the
Organization of Internal Auditors and the third candidate for state comptroller,
is considered unlikely to win, though he has the backing of 12
MKs.
According to Kalderon, he is the most qualified of the three
candidates, as he is the only one with experience in a position similar to that
of the state comptroller.