The Central Elections Committee tapped an acting director-general on Sunday to replace the panel’s outgoing chief, who announced her resignation earlier this month amid a political pressure campaign.

The CEC chairman, Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg, said Sunday that the committee’s recently retired legal adviser, Dean Livne, will serve as its acting director-general following the resignation of veteran election czar Orly Adas, who will leave the role in July after 15 years on the job.

Sohlberg said he selected Livne to temporarily fill the post because Adas’s announcement earlier this month that she will resign just months before a national election 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 date of the next national election has not yet been set, but by law it must be held by the end of October 2026.

Sohlberg, who is considered a conservative Supreme Court justice, said Sunday 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 more than a decade until his resignation only three months ago.

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

© The Times of Israel