Shas Chairman and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri ruled that all the party’s MKs would be involved in running the local elections, Kikar Shabbos News reports.

Over the past half year, Deri announced on several occasions – that he intends to appoint a “bulldozer” who will be responsible for all municipal elections. Deri told the Knesset members that he wanted to appoint an outside official who would be able to free himself and deal with this issue for 10 months exclusively.

But as time passed, Deri found it difficult to locate the responsible party who would agree to take responsibility. All the senior officials who received a request to serve in the sensitive position refused.

Deri is yet to elaborate, but it appears he will be calling on MKs to play a role in elections in cities and municipalities nationwide. This will impact elections in Jerusalem and Elad, and it remains to be seen what will occur in Beit Shemesh as the Degel Hatorah faction of Yahadut Hatorah has yet to decide it is will oppose the Shas-affiliated incumbent in Beit Shemesh.

In polls released in recent weeks regarding Knesset elections, Shas drops to a maximum of five seats from its current seven, and most polls show Shas fails to earn sufficient votes to enter the next Knesset.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)