MK Meir Porush was unanimously elected Monday evening as the ultra-Orthodox parties' candidate in the upcoming municipal elections in Jerusalem – the United Torah Judaism faction announced. The current mayor, Uri Lupolianski, is expected to retire from politics.
The UTJ faction in Jerusalem, which is comprised of the Hasidic Agudat Israel and the Lithuanian Degel Hatorah, elected a successor to Lupolianski as part of an internal rotation agreement. In the previous elections, five years ago, Agudath Israel endorsed the Lithuanian candidate in order to form a united front against businessman Nir Barkat. The parties agreed that in the 2008 elections, Degel Hatorah will support Agudath Israel's candidate.
Barkat has already announced he will run in the November elections.
Lupolianksi's office said in response to the announcement that the mayor would respect the agreement. After stepping down he is expected to resume his activities with the Yad Sarah charity organization, which he founded in the 1970's.
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