'2 rounds for election of president, comptroller'
07/26/2012 01:14
Knesset elections for president or state comptroller will no longer go to a third round of voting, according to bill.
President Shimon Peres Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO
Knesset elections for president or state comptroller will no longer go to a
third round of voting, according to a bill authorized for its first reading by
the Knesset Law, Constitution and Justice Committee on Wednesday.
The
current law says the president and state comptroller must be elected by a 61-MK
majority. If this does not happen in a first or second round of voting, the
candidate with a plurality of the vote in the third round wins.
The new
bill, proposed by MKs Yariv Levin (Likud), Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism),
Uri Maklev (UTJ), Yohanan Plesner (Kadima) and Avraham Michaeli (Shas) forgoes
the third round, allowing a future president or comptroller to be elected by a
plurality in the second round. In addition, only the two candidates with the
most votes in the first round can run in the second round.
The
legislation was scheduled for a late-night first reading in the plenum at press
time. It will then undergo further committee review and two more readings.