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Photo: Gil Yochanon
Photo: Gil Yochanon
Photo: Gil Yochanon

Knesset passes 'unlimited ministers' bill 61-59

Bill amends basic law that restricted prime minister to appointing 18 ministers; all members of the new coalition voted in favor.

The Knesset met on Wednesday and passed the second and third votes on a bill that lifts restrictions on the number of ministers that can be appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his new government to be sworn in sometime in the coming days.

 

 

Until the 61-59 Knesset vote in favor, Netanyahu was limited to appointing 18 ministers to his cabinet according to a law passed by a previous Knesset and championed by Yes Atid Chairman Yair Lapid. The bill does not include any limits on the number of ministers in the government.

 

The Knesset meets to pass 'unlimited ministers' bill. (Photo: Yochanon) (Photo: Gil Yochanon)
The Knesset meets to pass 'unlimited ministers' bill. (Photo: Yochanon)

 

During Wednesday's Knesset meeting, Lapid joined Labor Chairman Isaac Herzog in opposing the bill and laying verbal criticism on Netanyahu and his policies.

 

"Prime Minister, instead of solving problems, you're selling the country and plan to distribute half a billion shekels so that the MKs in the coalition will stay calm," said Herzog. "Instead of solving problems, you're tearing the country apart."

 

Lapid torpedoed what he called, "two lies that the coalistion tried to sell. The first is that there will only be 20 ministers. We're not talking about just 20 ministers, there is no limit on the number of ministers (and) we know exactly what will happen. Every time there's a problem a new minister of nothing will appear."

 

The second lie, according to Lapid, "is that this will cost just a few million. They can't sell me this stuff; I was finance minister." 

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 05.13.15, 15:33
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