Ref: 53/2008
Date: 08 June 2008
Time: 11:30 GMT
PCHR Opposes Anti-Democratic Council Appointments Policy 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 the Palestinian Authority (PA) policy, which represent a set-back regarding the democratic local council elections that have been conducted in most Gaza Strip communities over the last few years.
The Ministry of Local Government (of the Hamas Gaza Government) announced a decision last week to dismiss the electorally 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:
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.
