PRESS RELEASE Released @ 12:00 GMT 18^th May 1998PCHR CALLS FOR THE PROCEDURES

FOR ELECTIONS IN GAZA CONSTITUENCY TO CONTINUE

At 6:00 pm today, Monday 18 May 1998, the Election Appeals Court will convene to consider an appeal presented by advocate Abdel Rahman Abul Nasser and Dr. Kamal Al-Asdal to cancel the by-elections in the Gaza constituency. They argue that the remaining period for the member elect is less than one year, the minimum period according to the Palestinian Election Law (1995) to hold a by-election.

The Central Electoral Commission has set 29 May 1998 as the date for by-elections to elect a new member to the Palestinian Legislative Council to succeed Dr. Haidar Abdel Shafi, a former council member whose resignation took effect 30 March 1998. According to Dr. Osama Abu Safia, the Director General of the Central Electoral Commission, the Commission received a letter from the Speaker of the Council, informing the Commission that there was a vacancy as of 4 April 1998. Because the term of the Council will end by the end of the interim period on 4 May 1999, this means that the remaining period is more than one year.

Accordingly, holding an election in due time is completely consistent with the Palestinian Election Law (1995). Article 92 (4) states: “If the remaining period of term of legislature at the moment of the vacancy exceeds one year, by-elections shall take place in the constituency where the member whose position is vacant was elected.”

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights is concerned that there is an attempt to cancel the by-elections and that the real reason for this is the poor showing at registration centers. The Central Electoral Commission opened 11 centers for registration, distributed geographically throughout the Gaza constituency. Each center was given a final election register from 1996 and called upon those who were not registered to register at the centers. The number of non-registered people was estimated at 10,000, but over 18 days, only 60 people registered. This is an indicator of the lack of concern and enthusiasm amongst the voters. This conclusion is supported by the fact that all candidates are derived from the same political background. Excluding Fatah and its supporters, no political party nominated candidates for the election.

The PCHR calls for holding by-elections in due time and without delay in accordance with the law to contribute to the development of the democratic process. The PCHR also hopes that the experience of the local elections, which were scheduled for August 1997 and then canceled by a political decision, will not be repeated.