Bill proposal to require the prime minister to appoint stand-in
MK Merav Michaeli seeks to amend the law, as while the prime minister is authorized to appoint an acting-PM in the case he cannot fulfill his duties—but has yet to appoint one.
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation will discuss next Sunday an amendment to the law that would require the prime minister to appoint a temporary replacement to fill in for him when he is unable to fulfill his duty, Ynet has learned.
The proposal was submitted by MK Merav Michaeli (Zionist Union), who is seeking to alter the current situation in which the prime minister is allowed to appoint a replacement, but is not obligated to do so.
The move comes in light of an ongoing investigation against Netanyahu, who was questioned under caution by Israel Police for three hours on Monday evening over suspicion of receiving gifts from businessmen in breach of his role as a public servant.
Currently, no one has been appointed to the position, raising concern that without a stand-in, the prime minister could become too preoccupied with the suspicions against him, thereby compromising his ability to lead the country.
An explanation for the proposed legislation read: “The current situation is that there is no replacement. The government grants authority to another minister to stand in for the prime minister while he is unable to carry out his duties.
“The current government is made up of many ministers who see themselves as immediate candidates for being prime minister. In the current situation, in the absence of an appointed stand-in, a prolonged period of time could pass during which the ministers would fight and campaign for the position and be distracted from their work—something that can bring the country into chaos.”
The bill proposal went on to note that, “The current law will remain as valid legislation and will be enacted only in the very rare case in which both the prime minister and his stand-in are unable to fill the position.”
In addition to the suggested change, the law also recommends that if it is approved, the prime minister be obligated to appoint a stand-in within seven days from the moment it comes into effect.
