MK (The Movement) Amir Peretz, who recently resigned as a member of the cabinet due to his objections to government policies, is now pushing a bill that will permit the direct election of the prime minister. At present, the party with the most number of seats is generally given the presidential mandate to assemble a coalition. If the party succeeds, then the head of the large party becomes prime minister.

Peretz fears that as Bayit Yehudi continues growing in popularity, it is not impossible that Bennett will find himself as the nation’s prime minister and he wishes to avoid this at all cost. Peretz wants voters to elect the prime minister and then place a separate ballot for the party of choice. He is confident that while more people will be voting for Bayit Yehudi, they will not select Bennett as their candidate to run the nation.

Peretz told Kol Berama Radio on Tuesday 3 Kislev that if the Jewish Nation Bill passes in the current text, then extremists like Bennett as he views him, will have additional power. He feels it is imperative to stop him now before he can possibly become a viable candidate to become prime minister.

There have been direct elections for a prime minister three times but the law flipped flopped and is now back to the old system, one vote per voter, with the latter selecting a party and not a person. In 1996, 1999 and 2001 the nation voted directly for prime minister.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)