Likud lawmakers seek to give party members day off work for primaries
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved the bill Monday.
By LAHAV HARKOVPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud MK David Bitan.(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Two leading Likud lawmakers – coalition chairman David Bitan and Knesset House Committee chairman Yoav Kisch – proposed to give any member of a political party a day off of work on the day the party holds a primary.The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved the bill Monday.The bill would only apply to Likud, Labor and Bayit Yehudi, because their primaries are open to all party members and are considered primaries under the Parties Law of 1992, as opposed to some parties, which have a vote just for central committee members. Several parties in the Knesset do not hold primaries by any definition.Yesh Atid, whose list is chosen by its leader, Yair Lapid, said the cabinet showed it is disconnected from the public.“Instead of dealing with what is important, they’re dealing with internal politics and central committees,” a party spokesman said. “Don’t they have what to do?... Is that the most important thing in the country at the moment?”