Elections for the 21st Knesset will be held 105 days after the 20th Knesset is dissolved.
By Jack Gold, World Israel News
“The heads of the coalition parties decided, in agreement and unanimously, to disperse the Knesset and call for new elections at the beginning of April,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday.
Earlier, the heads of the five coalition parties issued a statement, saying that “out of national and budgetary responsibility, the leaders of the coalition parties decided, by unanimous agreement, to dissolve the Knesset and go to new elections at the beginning of April after a four-year term.”
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein consulted with the heads of all the parliamentary groups and then told a press conference that if elections are indeed held on April 9, the 21st Knesset’s inaugural sitting will take place on April 30 rather than two weeks after the election, as is customary, due to Passover.
He expressed regret that the 20th Knesset was unable to pass a new IDF draft law and called for a “businesslike” election campaign.
Elections were previously scheduled for November 2019, and the announcement means that Knesset members will vote to dissolve parliament early.
With early elections announced, this will be the 13th time (of 21) that elections will be held before the date initially set. An additional election campaign, for the 8th Knesset in 1973, was delayed because of the Yom Kippur War. The last elections held on time were in 1988.
Committee votes in favor
The Ministerial Committee on Legislation on Tuesday voted in favor of dissolving the Knesset, and the bill was passed on to the next legislative stages. It is yet unclear if the final vote will take place this week or next. Elections will take place 105 days after the final vote.
Forty-seven days prior to elections, party candidate lists will be submitted for approval by the Central Election Committee (CEC). The CEC comprises representatives of the various political parties and is chaired by a Supreme Court justice.
Party lists are finalized and can no longer be changed 30 days prior to elections.
The upcoming elections will produce the 21st Parliament of Israel, which will lead to the formation of Israel’s 35th government.