Ref: 53/2008
Date: 08 June 2008
Time: 11:30 GMT
PCHR Opposes Policy of Nepotistic Council Appointments in the Gaza
Strip
The Palestinian centre for Human Rights (PCHR) renews its
opposition to the anti-democratic policy of local government council
members being privately appointed in the Gaza Strip. The Centre views
these appointments as a continuation of nepotism, at the expense of
democratic local council elections that have been conducted in most Gaza
Strip communities during the last few years.
The Ministry of Local Government (of the Hamas Gaza
Government) announced a decision last week to dismiss the
appointed municipality council in Khan Yunis, headed by Dr. Fayez Abu
Shammala. The appointment of a new council, headed by Mohammad Abd El-Khaliq
El-Farra and comprising of twelve others, all of them Hamas members, was
announced (the names are detailed below). The new council began
operating on 7 June 2008, after an official inauguration ceremony
organized by the municipality.
This is a continuation of similar steps taken by the
Dismissed Government since its takeover of the Gaza Strip one year ago.
These steps have included the appointment of 4 local government
councils. On July 16, 2007 a new municipality council was appointed in
Rafah, headed by Issa El-Nashar. On 18 July, 2007, a new municipality
council was appointed for El-Bureij, headed by Mohammad Taha; on the
same day a municipality council headed by Ezzedeen El-Dahnoun was
appointed in Beit Lahia. On 24 March, 2008, a new council was appointed
for Gaza City with Rafiq Mikki as President to displace the electorally
appointed council headed by Dr. Majed Abu Ramadan.
PCHR notes that democratic local council elections have
been conducted in most communities over the past few years. From
December 2004 -December 2005, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA)
conducted 4 stages of local government (municipality) elections in 265
communities in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. The fifth and final stage
in the remaining 59 communities was scheduled for the end of 2005, and
included the four main cities in the Gaza Strip - Gaza, Jabalia,
Nuseirat, and Khan Yunis.
The first stage was conducted on 23 December 2004 in 26
West Bank communities. It was completed with elections in 10 Gaza Strip
communities on 27 January 2005. On 5 May 2005, the second stage of these
elections included 85 communities, 8 of them in the Gaza Strip. This
stage included electoral flaws in three communities: El-Bureij, Rafah,
and Beit Lahia. The Judiciary issued a decision to rerun the elections
in these communities. Hamas rejected the decision citing that it had won
the elections (according to announced preliminary results). These 3
contested councils remained under the authority of appointed councils
till today. On 29 September 2005 the third stage of elections included
104 West Bank communities. And on 15 December 2005, the fourth stage was
conducted in 40 communities, including 3 in the Gaza Strip.
It was presumed that the fifth and final stage would be
held before the end of 2005 in 59 communities in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip. However the Palestinian Cabinet decided to postpone the
elections. Since then, local municipal council elections have been
hindered by the power struggle between Fatah and Hamas that resulted in
a split in the Palestinian governance hierarchy.
In light of these developments, PCHR:
-
Affirms its opposition to the policy of chronic
appointments in municipality councils that deprive the population of
their right to freely elect their representatives.
-
Calls upon the Palestinian National Authority to
complete the local council elections that have not been conducted in
the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including the three contested councils
(El-Bureij, Rafah, and Beit Lahia).
The twelve new Municipal Concil members of Khan Yunis
are: Saleh Sultan (Vice-President), Dr. Faris Abu Mu’ammar, Dr. Nimr Abu
Daqqa, Dr. Reyad Abu Shammala, Dr. Walid Amer, Jawad El-Agha, A’ed El-Masri,
Suliman El-Ghalban, Mohammad El-Astal, Ibrahim Seyam, Abdallah El-Najjar,
and Sa’id Zu’rob.
