Knesset speaker vote postponed after planned outgoing coalition filibuster

Both opposition and coalition sources confirm that a critical vote on the selection of a Knesset speaker will occur tomorrow at 10 a.m., instead of today as planned, due to pressure by the soon-to-be opposition.

Likud MK Yariv Levin was slated to replace current speaker Mickey Levy of the Yesh Atid party, at the request of the incoming coalition’s 64 MKs.

Transferring the Knesset presidium from the control of the incoming opposition to that of the incoming coalition is key to advancing the new government’s legislative agenda.

It is also particularly timely, as Likud’s coalition partners have demanded a suite of legislative changes before swearing in the new government, and prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu has until December 21 to declare that he has formed a government.

The outgoing government has started placing obstacles in the incoming coalition’s path, including running their own candidate for Knesset speaker and reportedly planning to pack the legislative agenda with other items to delay the vote by hours.

Outgoing Public Security Committee chair Merav Ben Ari, a Yesh Atid MK, is the coalition’s candidate, announced this morning by the party but with no chance of actually being elected.