"Am I therefore become your enemy,because I TELL YOU THE TRUTH...?"
(Galatians 4:16)

New Olmert Committee Authorized to Change/Stall Gov't Decisions

A three-man committee, comprising Prime Minister Olmert and two of his closest political allies, now has the right to change Cabinet decisions that have not yet been implemented. It can also bring about a delay in the implementation of other Cabinet decisions by recommending that the government reconsider them.The voting members of the committee, in addition to Olmert, are Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann and Finance Minister Roni Bar-On.In addition, the Attorney General, the Prime Minister's Bureau Director, and the Finance Ministry Director-General will be permanent non-voting participants. Other ministers and officials will be invited to participate in committee meetings in accordance with the agenda.The government approved the formation of the committee by majority vote, over the objections of Shas and some of the Labor Party; two Labor ministers (Ben-Eliezer and Simchon) voted against, while another (Herzog) abstained. One Labor Party minister told Ynet, "What's going on here? They're turning the ministers into marionettes? This is just like other cases when they suddenly spring new regulations on us and thwart the democratic process... This is a totally undemocratic decision. We are considering turning to the Attorney General, because this decision gives the Prime Minister and his men unlimited power."The Decision TextThe decision states that the new committee will "track and oversee the implementation of government decisions, and will be authorized to change government decisions for the purpose of their implementation. If the committee feels that a decision must be revoked or significantly changed, the matter will be brought for a vote in the government or the relevant ministerial committee."No time duration is specified within which the matter must be brought for the re-vote.By way of explanation, the decision adds that every administrative body - and certainly the government - must have a review process to ensure the implementation of previous decisions.Cabinet Secretary Oved Yechezkel said the decision "will enable changing decisions that were not implemented.There is no intention to impair the status of the ministers or of previous governments. It will simply be a tool for the ministers' benefit."One of the Cabinet's newest ministers, Olmert-ally Ruchama Avraham, told Ynet why she favors the decision: "Over the past years, hundreds of Cabinet decisions have been made and not implemented.The time has come to take responsibility for this matter, and to ensure that a government that proposes a particular policy actually carries it out."Explaining why Bar-On and Friedmann were chosen to staff the committee, government officials said that their respective ministries-Finance and Justice-are most often involved in the difficulties in implementing Cabinet decisions."We totally reject the claim that the Prime Minister chose them because they are his friends,"it was stated.

As in the days of Noah....