Israel's Parliament Defies High Court on State Comptroller Election
Despite a Supreme Court ruling two months ago invalidating the election of attorney Michael Ravilo as State Comptroller, new elections have yet to be held. Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana has publicly stated his intention to disregard the court's decision, asserting that "the Knesset has already spoken its mind." Ohana even incorporated this stance into his campaign for the Likud party primaries, using the slogan "The Supreme Court Commands, Ohana Ignores."
This defiance contradicts the advice of Knesset Legal Advisor Sarit Afik, who reportedly advised Ohana that the Knesset should comply with the ruling within two weeks, meaning about a month and a half ago. Afik's legal opinion indicated no impediment to holding a new election for State Comptroller even after the Knesset's dissolution.
Interestingly, opposition parties, some of which initiated the petition to the Supreme Court, have also not pressed for the new election. It is speculated that the opposition may prefer to delay the election until after future elections, potentially allowing them to nominate their own candidates if they win. They could have filed a "contempt of court" petition to enforce the ruling, which might have prompted the Supreme Court to set a deadline for the election.
Meanwhile, the head of the Israel Bar Association, attorney Amit Bachar, sent a letter to Ohana demanding that the Knesset speaker prevent the publication of correspondence between "gatekeepers" in his office in the Ynet and Yediot Ahronot newspapers. Bachar also requested an investigation into the source of a reported leak of this information. However, without an active State Comptroller, there is no official to pursue Bachar's request.
The State Comptroller's office plays a crucial role during election periods, auditing the financial accounts of political parties, factions, and candidates in national and local elections, including primary elections. While the absence of a comptroller does not currently affect the ongoing elections, the office is retrospectively responsible for reviewing the performance of the election committee itself.
