Zelekha assistant petitions court against tender to replace him

Assistant Accountant General Adi Rivlin on Monday petitioned the Jerusalem District Labor Court, requesting that it issue an injunction against the internal tender for the position of director of national debt in the Accountant General's office at the treasury.

Rivlin has held the position of director of national debt for several years, and his petition to the court represents an escalation in the highly publicized conflict between Rivlin and Accountant General Yaron Zelekha.

Director of national debt is one of the most prestigious positions in the treasury, with the person holding it being responsible for managing all of the state's debts, including short and long-term debt refunds and debt recycling, and for issuing bonds.

The rivalry between Zelekha and his assistant dates back several years. At one time, Finance Ministry Director General Joseph Bachar tried to mediate between the two, but to no avail.

In the petition, presented through attorneys Dror Gal and Gil Rivlin, Rivlin claims the tender was issued in order to artificially pressure him to resign from the treasury with no apparent justification.

In the petition, Rivlin also claims Zelekha's conduct is belligerent and does not serve the state's interests. Rivlin claims Zelekha violated proper procedures in appointing workers for the Accountant General's Office, and does so in the name of battling corruption.

Rivlin further claims Zelekha is trying to terrorize him into resigning, despite Rivlin's record as a good employee and the praise he has received from all professional parties for implementing his capital market reform.

The rivalry between Rivlin and Zelekha consists among other things of arguments regarding who deserves credit for implementing the reform.

The petition states that Rivlin intends to enter the tender for the position of deputy accountant general, which recently became available when Yuval Bronstein, the former deputy, left the treasury to join the private sector.