Knesset House Committee okays Katsav suspension
Eleven MKs vote in favor of extending president's leave of absence due to possible indictment on suspicion of rape; four MKs oppose decision
The president's leave of absence will now be extended until the end of his term.
"Under these circumstances, and once the president chose not to resign but to declare that he was unable to perform his job, the Knesset House Committee approves the announcement and declares that the president is temporarily unable to perform his job, starting from the current suspension period until the end of his term according to the law."
MK Ruhama Avraham (Kadima), the committee's chairwoman, said that "if the attorney general decides to indict Katsav, and Katsav decides to go back on his leave of absence, I will immediately launch impeachment procedures against him. I do not want to see Moshe Katsav serving as the president one more minute."
'Katsav holding the Knesset hostage'
MKs Gideon Sa'ar and Yuli Edelstein (Likud), Nadia Hilou (Labor) and Zahava Gal-On voted against the extension of the suspension.
MK Sa'ar explained, "The suspension announcement continued the Knesset's participation in this humiliation, and in this case the House Committee overdid it by approving the president's permanent suspension, until the end of his term.
"The Knesset could have fulfilled the public's expectations several times and take a normative approach, but unfortunately it missed out on all opportunities one after the other," he said.
MK Gal-On said, "This is a humiliating occasion in which the Knesset depends on the president's willingness to come and ask for a leave of absence. The president is holding the Knesset hostage and this is the result of the decision not to impeach him."
On Wednesday, Katsav asked the Knesset House Committee to extend his suspension period until further notice.
In his letter to the committee, Katsav wrote, "Further to my announcement from January 24 2007, in accordance with Basic Law: The President of the State, I hereby inform you that I have decided to extend my leave of absence until further notice."
Katsav’s brother Lior said earlier that the president will ask to remain suspended until Attorney General Mazuz decides whether or not to file an indictment against him over allegations of rape and sexual assault after a hearing on May 2.
Katsav’s initial request to be suspended was approved three months ago. Since then he has been replaced by Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik.
High Court discusses president's petition
Meanwhile Sunday, the High Court of Justice discussed a petition filed by Katsav's lawyers, who asked to receive all the investigation material collected against the president from the State Prosecutor's Office.
Supreme Court President Dorit Beinish told the attorneys that they were putting the cart before the horse. During the discussion, Justice Beinish suggested that Katsav's attorney file specific requests to the State Prosecutor's Office to receive the material.
The State Prosecutor's Office rejected the proposal, while the president's lawyers said that they would not withdraw the petition. After hearing both sides, Beinish said that a decision on the matter would be made on Sunday.
Simultaneously, the State Prosecutor's Office representative did not confirm or deny that there were opposing positions regarding an indictment against Katsav, as has been asserted by the president's lawyers.
