Dean Livne to serve as acting head of Central Elections Committee until after this year’s vote

Central Elections Committee chairman Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg announces that the committee’s recently retired legal adviser, Dean Livne, will serve as acting directorgeneral following the resignation of veteran election czar Orly Adas, who will leave the role in July after 15 years on the job.

Sohlberg says he selected Livne to temporarily fill the post because Adas’s announcement earlier this month that she will resign months before the elections meant he was required to “ensure that an experienced person, possessing the knowledge and familiarity required to perform the task, serves in the position immediately” in order to ensure “functional continuity.”

The conservative justice explains that there was no time to organize a search committee, and his first choice from within the Central Elections Committee staff declined to take on the job, so he turned to Livne, who served as the committee’s legal adviser for over a decade until his resignation only three months ago.

Sohlberg cites Livne’s “extensive experience, familiarity with election laws” and other qualifications, adding that a search committee for a full-time replacement would be convened after the election.

The committee is an independent state body responsible for managing parliamentary elections and protecting their integrity. It is chaired by a Supreme Court justice, currently Sohlberg, and comprises representatives of the various factions in the Knesset. It is responsible for tallying votes and has the power to disqualify parties ahead of elections.