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English

Government bill · 18th Knesset · published as law 26 November 2009

חוק המועצות האזוריות (מועד בחירות כלליות) (תיקון מס' 6), התש"ע-2009Law on Regional Councils (General Elections Date) (Amendment No. 6), 2009 · automatic translation · suggest a correction

Status: התקבלה בקריאה שלישית

Topics: Government and elections*, Local government* · * from the Knesset's official law classification

What the sponsors propose

The law provides that the first elections to a regional council after its establishment will be held within sixty days of the end of four years from the council's establishment, subject to the minister's authority to postpone the date in consultation with the Knesset Interior and Environmental Protection Committee. According to the sponsors, in practice there are regional councils that require a longer period than that set by law for the term of the first regional council, since the construction of the professional and economic infrastructure necessary for its proper functioning has not yet been completed in them, or the registration of all the settlements located within the council's area as part of it has not yet been completed. It is therefore proposed to authorize the Minister of the Interior, in consultation with the committee, to postpone the date of the first elections to a later date than the end of the four years if he finds that circumstances justify this, and if the circumstances cease to apply - to set a new date as close as possible. According to the sponsors, the amendment will allow the council to complete its functions and build its institutions efficiently and properly, since holding early elections could harm the necessary development of the council and, as a result, also harm its residents.

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Hebrew original

החוק קובע כי הבחירות הראשונות למועצה אזורית לאחר כינונה יתקיימו בתוך שישים ימים מתום ארבע שנים לכינון המועצה, בכפוף לאפשרות השר לדחות את המועד בהתייעצות עם ועדת הפנים והגנת הסביבה של הכנסת. לדברי המציעים, בפועל ישנן מועצות אזוריות הדורשות תקופה ארוכה יותר מזו שנקבעה בחוק לכהונת המועצה האזורית הראשונה, שכן טרם הושלמה בהן בניית התשתית המקצועית והכלכלית ההכרחית לפעולתה התקינה, או שלא נסתיים רישום כל היישובים המצויים בשטח המועצה כחלק ממנה. לפיכך מוצע להסמיך את שר הפנים, בהתייעצות עם הוועדה, לדחות את מועד הבחירות הראשונות למועד מאוחר מתום ארבע השנים אם ראה שהנסיבות מצדיקות זאת, ואם חדלו הנסיבות - לקבוע מועד חדש קרוב ככל האפשר. לדברי המציעים, התיקון יאפשר למועצה להשלים את תפקידיה ולבנות את מוסדותיה ביעילות ובאופן ראוי, שכן עריכת בחירות מוקדמת עלולה לפגוע בבנייתה הנדרשת של המועצה ובתוצאה מכך גם בתושביה.

An automatic summary of the explanatory notes written by the bill's sponsors. These are their arguments, not an official Knesset summary. · The bill on the Knesset website

Readings

What was said in the plenum

The bill amends the Regional Councils Law so as to allow the Minister of the Interior, in consultation with the Knesset Interior Committee, to postpone the date of the first elections in a regional council without time limitation, instead of the existing limitation of the fifth or sixth year. The discussion focused mainly on the Abu Basma Regional Council, which was established in 2004 and has not yet held elections, and the debate concerned whether postponing elections without time limitation and without committee approval harms democratic principles and the rights of Bedouin residents, versus the argument that the council is not yet professionally and economically mature enough to hold elections.

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Hebrew original

הצעת החוק מתקנת את חוק המועצות האזוריות כך שתאפשר לשר הפנים, בהתייעצות עם ועדת הפנים של הכנסת, לדחות את מועד הבחירות הראשונות במועצה אזורית ללא הגבלת זמן, במקום המגבלה הקיימת של שנה חמישית או שישית. הדיון התמקד בעיקר במועצה האזורית אבו-בסמה, שהוקמה ב-2004 וטרם נערכו בה בחירות, והוויכוח נסב על השאלה אם דחיית בחירות ללא הגבלת זמן וללא אישור ועדה פוגעת בעקרונות דמוקרטיים ובזכויות התושבים הבדואים, לעומת הטענה שהמועצה טרם בשלה מבחינה מקצועית וכלכלית לקיום בחירות.

Arguments for

  • There are regional councils, particularly Abu Basma, where the professional and economic infrastructure necessary for proper functioning has not yet been completed, and holding elections prematurely could harm the council's development and its residents.
    Yakov Margi (Shas), Eliyahu Yishai (Shas)
  • The Minister of the Interior should be given discretion, in consultation with the Interior Committee, to set the election date according to the council's maturity, with the intention of holding elections as soon as possible once circumstances allow.
    Nissim Zeev (Shas), Eliyahu Yishai (Shas)

Arguments against

  • Postponing the elections without time limitation and without requiring Knesset committee approval denies residents the basic democratic right to vote and be elected.
    Chaim Oron (Meretz), Talab El-Sana (Ra'am–Ta'al), David Azoulay (Shas), Dov Khenin (Hadash)
  • The law applies only to the Abu Basma Regional Council, whose population is Bedouin and Arab, and therefore involves discrimination and improper paternalism toward this public, whereas no such arrangement was proposed for Jewish settlements.
    Chaim Oron (Meretz), Talab El-Sana (Ra'am–Ta'al), Ilan Gilon (Meretz)
  • Extending the tenure of an appointed council head indefinitely could perpetuate failure and negligence in preparing the council for elections, since whoever fails to fulfill their duties could always claim that the council is not ready.
    Talab El-Sana (Ra'am–Ta'al)
  • Postponing the elections actually delays the process of consolidation and settlement of the Bedouin residents in the permanent settlements, and therefore harms the completion of the council's construction that it seeks to ensure.
    Ophir Pines-Paz (Labor)
  • Such a bill, which alters a fundamental democratic right, was advanced through a flawed and hasty legislative process, exempted from the laying requirement and without proper professional discussion, and even the legal advisors expressed surprise and constitutional doubt regarding it.
    Talab El-Sana (Ra'am–Ta'al), David Azoulay (Shas), Dov Khenin (Hadash)
Who spoke (9)
MemberFactionReadingsSpeechesIn the final vote
Yakov MargiShas coalitionFirst reading3for
Chaim OronMeretz oppositionFirst reading, Third reading5against
Talab El-SanaRa'am–Ta'al oppositionFirst reading, Third reading13against
Ophir Pines-PazLabor coalitionFirst reading2no record
Nissim ZeevShas coalitionFirst reading3for
David AzoulayShas coalitionThird reading4for
Dov KheninHadash oppositionThird reading4against
Ilan GilonMeretz oppositionThird reading2against
Eliyahu YishaiShas coalitionThird reading6for

An automatic summary of the plenum transcripts: the debate on the bill at every reading it was voted on. Arguments are given as the speakers made them; this is not an assessment. The list of speakers comes from the transcript, without a model. Transcripts of the sittings: 1, 2

Reservations, sections and other votes (14)

In order. Votes on reservations and individual sections are shown separately from the vote on the bill as a whole.

Source: bill page in the Knesset legislation database ↗

Law on Regional Councils (General Elections Date) (Amendment No. 6), 2009 · How the Knesset Votes