Ref: 05/2021
Date: 17 Jan 2021
Press Release
The International Commission welcomes the issuance of the decree calling for the legislative, presidential and National Council elections. ICSPR calls for providing the necessary environment for their success.
The International Commission to Support Palestinians’ Rights (ICSPR) followed with great satisfaction the issuance of the presidential decree specifying the dates for holding the legislative, presidential and National Assembly general elections by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on 15 January 2021.
The Palestinian people welcomed this step with great optimism, especially as it comes after many years of depriving the Palestinian people and citizens of practicing this genuine and constitutional right in free, fair and periodic elections due to the state of division and fragmentation.
The International Commission (ICSPR), stresses that the elections constitute an opportunity to renew the legitimacy of the supreme constitutional institutions. ICSPR encourages citizens to exercise their right either by candidacy or election, and it affirms the necessity and importance of protecting elections, and working to conduct them in accordance with international standards, to contribute to strengthening partnership and national unity and ending the era of division. And thus establishing a new Palestinian phase based on respect for the rights and freedoms of citizens guaranteed by law. ICSPR believes that it is also necessary to form the election court in accordance with the provisions of the law. Therefore, it demands the following:
- ICSPR stresses the importance of devoting the approach of periodic elections as the only way for the peaceful transfer of power, in order to enhance the process of democratic transformation in the country.
- ICSPR urges and calls on all parties to act immediately to provide an incubating and facilitating environment for the conduct of free and fair elections, including the release of public and press freedoms, enabling free access to information, addressing the legacy of past violations, the release of political prisoners, stopping the political conflicts, exclusion, treason and penance policies, stopping any form of summons for political reasons, or for reasons related to party and political affiliation or activity in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, adopting a unitary informational discourse, and ensuring freedom of work for organizations and unions and enabling them to play their supervisory role freely.
- ICSPR calls on the Palestinian president to withdraw his recent decisions regarding the judiciary, and work to ensure its independence in line with international standards and national demands to reform the judiciary system, as it is one of the most important guarantees for the success of the electoral process.
- ICSPR stresses the importance of working without delay to end geographical discrimination, confiscation of rights and freedoms, organizing government financial funding for electoral campaigns to ensure justice, equality, and equal opportunities for all participating lists and forces, and to provide equal support opportunities for them.
