Former National Religious Party chairman Effie Eitam is the leading candidate for head of the Yesha Council, Channel 10 News reported on Sunday.
Eitam, who served as Minister of National Infrastructure and Minister of Housing and Construction, currently serves as President of Genie Energy International.
If he is elected, Eitam will become the first chairman of the Yesha Council who does not live in Judea and Samaria.
Avi Roeh, the current chairman of the Yesha Council and chairman of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, announced last month that he would be stepping down as head of the Yesha Council.
In a special letter he published at the time, Roeh laid out the goals he set for himself upon taking office, and the challenges that lie ahead for Judea and Samaria communities.
"The main goal I set for myself was to connect the heads of the authorities in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley and to bring them to full participation in the formulation of policy and decision-making," he wrote. "To my delight, most of the mayors participate frequently in council meetings, in its decisions, and in the activities that it spearheads.”
Regarding the application of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, Roeh wrote, "The Yesha Council has yet to face further challenges in the coming years. We must bring the Israeli government to an understanding that sovereignty over Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley must begin. In the reality in which we live, there is no escape from this - something we are increasingly coming to understand.”
Roeh is expected to continue to serve as head of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council and as a member of the Yesha Council after he steps down as Yesha Council chairman.