Heated politics could scare voters from polls, Rivlin warns
President says public frustration following coalition collapse could harm democracy, urges politicians to work together better
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Increasing public distrust in politicians following the collapse of the ruling coalition could lead to low voter turnout in upcoming elections, President Reuven Rivlin warned Sunday.
“I am afraid that the public will abstain from voting because they no longer believe in them [elections],” Rivlin said during the Globes Business Conference in Tel Aviv.
“The public’s distrust of elections is something that could damage our democratic system. I hope that everyone will go to the polls and vote according to their beliefs,” he said.
The country’s ruling government imploded last week as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired ministers Yair Lapid and Tzipi Livni, accusing them of plotting to undermine him amid a series of heated legislative battles. Each side accused the other of pushing the public into unwanted elections.
The Knesset is slated to dissolve itself on Monday, paving the way for elections on March 17, just over two years since the last time Israelis went to the polls.
Rivlin called for politicians to make “difficult decisions” to commit to working together in ideological blocs instead of taking extreme positions.
The 2013 elections showed a slight increase in political participation, with a 67.7% percent voter turnout, compared to 64.7% in the 2009 elections.
Results from recent opinion polls reveal that 51% of Israelis do not support the early elections, and a majority of those asked blamed Netanyahu and Lapid jointly for the coalition’s collapse.
The Times of Israel Community.