Last update - 00:00 24/03/2008
Meretz in 'twilight of its years' according to own audit
By Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondent
Financial collapse, constituency offices and a youth movement that exist on paper only, few legislative initiatives, a party in the twilight of its years, these are just a few of the descriptions contained in an internal report on Meretz-Yahad released last week.
Work on the report, four months in preparation, was completed on the eve of last week's primary that crowned MK Haim Oron at party's new leader. It was written by businessman Boaz Amitay and commissioned by the party's secretary general, Yaron Shor.
The report reveals serious organizational, financial and political shortcomings. Since 1992, Meretz has lost 60 percent of its Knesset seats from 12 to 5 in 2006. Oron, who replaces MK Yossi Beilin will have no easy job ahead of him in rehabilitating the party.
"The party is in a state of paralysis. At present Meretz cannot carry out complex tasks such as an election campaign," the report states.
Financially, despite Beilin's economic recovery program, the party is for all intents and purposes in bankruptcy, according to the report. Meretz's debt to Bank Hapoalim is estimated at NIS 12.4 million, and its monthly income is smaller than its expenses, so a deficit that began in 2001 continues to grow. Nevertheless, the report states, no serious discussion of the party's financial situation has taken place.
The financial situation has led to the loss of the party's youth movement, only two of its 52 branches are operational, and the party's own ombudsman has issued no reports.
The report points a finger at the party's pyramidal structure as the cause for the present situation: The party chair, the secretary general and the administrative chair have no administrative authority, leaving most of the power in the hands of the Knesset faction.
However, the faction is split into camps and thus cannot move matters ahead either. The report also discusses the small number of bills Meretz has proposed (only 15 in the present Knesset), and only one piece of ecological legislation recently, although Meretz bills itself as an ecological party.
In terms of its relationship to the Arab community, Meretz has almost completely lost its way, the report says. It has not expanded its power base in the Arab sector, where its votes amounted to only a quarter of a Knesset seat in 2006.
According to Shor, Meretz has begun discussions of the report. "It is unusual for a party to examine itself with such transparency and this is admirable," he said.
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