MK Avraham: Eliminate the presidency

House Committee Chairwoman proposes pardon powers be handed to Supreme Court.

ruhama avraham 298.88 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
ruhama avraham 298.88
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Knesset House Committee Chairwoman MK Ruhama Avraham (Kadima) submitted a bill on Thursday that would to eliminate the presidency as an institution. According to the proposal, the various powers vested in the presidency would be distributed among different parts of the government. In addition, the president's pardon powers would be transferred to the president of the Supreme Court, while the authority to form and dissolve governments, would be transferred to the Knesset speaker. According to Avraham, the presidency's contribution to Israel's democracy does not justify the "expensive and irrelevant institution," and its yearly budget of about NIS 26 million could be used to help the needy.