The Movement for Quality Government filed a request with the head of the elections council, Judge Yitzhak Amit, on Tuesday, requesting he officially proclaim Shas chairman Aryeh Deri as disgraced, which would bar him from running for the Knesset for seven years..
The movement elaborated that Deri should be officially proclaimed as disgraced because of the 12-month probation to which he was sentenced. The movement mentioned in its request that Deri has repeatedly insisted that he can serve as a minister and that there is no law preventing him from doing so, all while severely harming voters.
The organization explains that the request was submitted in order not to affect the freedom to vote and that all information will be available to the public. Therefore it believes that the head of the council must use his power to decide Deri's ability and whether or not to label him as disgraced.
"As long as there isn't a clear ruling by the hon. elections chairman concerning an official proclamation, there can be deceit of the public which directly affects the right and freedom to vote," the movement wrote in the request.
"Likewise, the uncertainty surrounding the question of an official proclamation of disgrace harms the public's ability to plan its steps and impacts its ability to make an informed decision at the polls."
Movement for Quality Government chairman Attorney Eliad Shraga stated: "The Knesset is not a criminal rehabilitation center. Someone who was convicted of disgraceful crimes twice cannot enter the Knesset and certainly cannot serve as a minister."