HTML clipboard

Ref: 159/2005

Date: 11 December 2005

PCHR Publishes a New Report Titled “Palestinian Legislative Council: Evaluation of Performance in the Ninth Term”

On 11 December 2005, PCHR published a new report titled “Palestinian Legislative Council: Evaluation of Performance in the Ninth Term.” This is the eighth in a series of reports published by PCHR in the context of its efforts to monitor and evaluate the performance of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) since its inauguration in 1996. The report discusses the PLC’s performance on the levels of legislation, monitoring and accountability during the period 11 March 2004 – 9 March 2005.

The report pointed to the shortcomings of the PLC, especially on the levels of legislation and accountability, despite the notable improved performance in comparison with past years. The most significant failure was the lack of legitimacy, especially as the PLC’s legal mandate ended in May 1999.  Furthermore, the report pointed to the failure of PLC members to attend sessions. There were a number of important draft laws approved in the absence of a large number of members. Another failure was the duality of responsibilities of PLC members who hold executive offices other than Cabinet posts. Finally, the report pointed to the Council’s failure to follow up the results and recommendations of commissions of inquiry established by the Council itself.

The report listed a number of recommendations:

–         The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) must comply with the scheduled date for holding legislative elections on 25 January 2006, so as to elect new representatives of the Palestinian people, and to renew confidence in the PLC, which was elected 9 years ago, during which time it has lost its legitimacy as its legal term expired.

–         The PLC should make efforts to develop mechanisms that ensure the Executive’s ratification of pending legislations, and to ensure that the Executive does not ignore the legislations approved by the PLC.

–         The PLC members should draft new and modern Palestinian laws. Further, there is a need to evaluate the enacted laws drafted before 1996 that were not approved by the PLC, such as the Press Law of 1995.

–         The PLC should follow up the implementation of laws ratified by the Executive in order to ensure that they are implemented in a way that guarantees the fulfillment of their intended objectives.

–         The PLC should follow up the conclusions and recommendations of inquiry commissions established by the PLC, and ensure the Executive’s full compliance with these conclusions and recommendations. Furthermore, there is a need to publish the results of these commissions to the public.

–         Transparency at the PLC should be enhanced, and access to information about the Council should be allowed, including:

o       Continuation of live broadcasts of PLC’s sessions, and working to include all sessions, not just selected ones.

o       Developing and updating the PLC’s web site regularly.

o       Providing the minutes of PLC meetings in their entirety, and making them accessible to the public.

–         A series of steps should be taken to limit dual responsibilities of PLC members with regards to executive posts, excluding Ministerial Cabinet posts. It is noted that some PLC members head a number of executive bodies.

–         PLC members should be committed to attend the Council’s sessions, and should stop unexcused absence, premature exit from sessions and holding sessions with a limited number of members. These actions void sessions of their content.

 ************************

For more information please call: +972 (0)- 8 – 2824776 – 2825893.* 

*Office Hours are between 0800 – 1600 hours (0500 GMT – 1300 GMT) Sun – Thurs.

……………………………………………………………

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip tel/fax: +972 (0)8 282 4776 – 282 5893

email: [email protected]      website: www.pchrgaza.org