Press Release
ICSPR: Announcing the suspension of the electoral process deprives Palestinian citizens of exercising their constitutional rights
The International Commission to Support Palestinians’ Rights “ICSPR” follows with great disapproval and concern the Palestinian President’s announcement to postpone the holding of the third Palestinian legislative elections for an indefinite period, and that’s in the awake of a meeting of the Palestinian leadership held in Ramallah, yesterday evening, Thursday, April 29.
The Central Election Commission through a brief statement declared that “in accordance with the decision of the Palestinian leadership, we declare that the electoral process will cease as of Friday morning, where the final disclosure of the lists and candidates was to be published in the first day of electoral campaign of lists running for the legislative elections.”
The presidential declaration met with the objection of the majority of the factions and electoral lists participating in the elections, which viewed this announcement as a transgression of the state of the national agreement and exceeding the legal powers granted to the Palestinian president, and that all Palestinian categories agree on the necessity of holding elections in Jerusalem, which requires confronting the Israeli arrogance not surrendering to it.
ICSPR and many of our people view with great interest the conduct of the third Palestinian legislative elections, which were expected to constitute a milestone in the framework of ending the division, addressing its effects, and developing and democratizing the Palestinian political system in a way that serves addressing the current external and internal challenges.
ICSPR considers the day the presidential declaration was issued a black day in the history of Palestinian democracy, and affirms that there is no clear text in the Basic Law or the election law that gives any party the right to postpone or cancel the elections, and it considers that disrupting the electoral process means confiscating the political rights of citizens, and that the Central Elections Committee has exceeded its legal powers and mandates when it accepted the presidential declaration and ignored its legal nature as an independent committee. Therefore:
1.ICSPR Confirms that the presidential declaration to postpone the electoral process for an indefinite period, which reflects the state of authoritarianism of the Palestinian presidency.
2.ICSPR affirms the right of Palestinian citizens in Jerusalem to participate in all stages of the electoral process, just like any Palestinian citizen.
3.ICSPR confirms that the decision to halt the electoral process at this time is considered an unjustified surrender to Israeli arrogance, in light of victory that the people and youth of Jerusalem have achieved.
4.ICSPR urges the Palestinian leadership to immediately revers the decision to halt the electoral process, and to strive seriously to impose its procedures in Jerusalem, and not to succumb to the arrogance of the Israeli occupation.
5.ICSPR calls on the electoral lists and the Palestinian factions to express their rejection of the decision in a peaceful, legal, judicial and popular manner to ensure the holding of elections and rebuilding all institutions of the Palestinian political system.
