Ref: 37-2016

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) continues its preparations to observe the local council elections to be held on 08 October in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. PCHR also supports holding the local council elections and the legislative and presidential elections as well. Furthermore, PCHR stresses the importance of putting an end to the political split, restoring confidence in the Palestinian governmental institutions and holding the elections periodically.

PCHR submitted an application to the Central Elections Committee (CEC) to be approved as a local body observing the elections process, including registration for elections, candidacy period, electioneering, voting and announcing of the elections’ results.

PCHR is working on an extensive training program for about 275 persons of those who participated in training courses organized by PCHR on human rights and democracy during the past years in cooperation with a number of the civil society organizations in order to enhance their skills in this field.

PCHR has had a great experience in observing the electoral processes. It previously participated in observing the legislative and presidential elections in 1996; the presidential election in 2005; legislative elections in 2006, and the local council elections in 2004-2005. PCHR will participate through a professional team to observe the electoral process.

PCHR opens its doors to receive complaints from civilians or candidates in order to offer them  the legal aid during the whole electoral process.

CEC declared that the candidacy period for all local councils in the West Bank and Gaza Strip will be for 5 days from Saturday morning, 23 July 2016, to Wednesday evening, 27 July 2016, whether electronically or through constituencies.

According to preliminary statistics, about 74,000 new persons, the majority of whom are from the Gaza Strip, 48% of them women, registered for the elections.

According to PCHR’s follow-up, the registration process was normal and regular.