The first since 2006: Elections are being held in the Palestinian territories
25 April 18:12
Municipal elections are being held on Saturday, April 25, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in the Deir al-Balah district of the Gaza Strip. More than one million voters will be eligible to participate, including nearly 70,500 in the Gaza Strip, according to data from the Central Election Commission of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA CEC) in Ramallah, reports "Komersant Ukrainian" citing DW.
The elections were organized by the PNA, led by 90-year-old President Mahmoud Abbas. It governs part of the West Bank. Voting in Gaza is taking place for the first time since 2006, when the radical Hamas movement, designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union and many other countries, won. It is noted that candidates in the election were required to sign a declaration supporting the idea of peaceful coexistence between an independent Palestinian state and Israel. Hamas and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu do not support this idea.
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In addition, most of those elected are allies of Abbas and the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) he leads, or independent candidates. There are no open supporters of Hamas, which continues to control nearly half of the Gaza Strip, among the candidates. Although, according to surveys, Hamas remains the most popular political force in both Gaza and the West Bank.
The UN considers the elections “credible”
Overall, the elections in Gaza are considered symbolic, as they are being held only in Deir al-Balah—one of the enclave’s five districts. At the same time, Ramiz Alakbarov —the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territories—praised the work of the Central Election Commission, which organized a “credible” process.
“Saturday’s elections are an important opportunity for Palestinians to exercise their democratic rights during an exceptionally difficult period,” Alakbarov said before polling stations opened.
The CEC itself stated that the vote “reflects the will of the Palestinian people to remain on their land and develop their country.”
“The main idea is the political unification of the West Bank and Gaza into a single system,” said Farid Taamallah, the CEC’s press secretary.
Polling stations, which opened at 7:00 a.m., will close at 7:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. Kyiv time) in the West Bank, while those in Deir al-Balah closed at 5:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. Kyiv time). In the Gaza Strip, this step was taken due to a power outage following the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Election results are expected on April 26, according to Wafa, the PNA’s state news agency.
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