Ref: 42/2017

On 31 October 2017, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) received Emily Harding, Resident Representative of the West Bank/ Gaza Programs in the National Democratic Institute (NDI), to meet with PCHR’s Deputy Director for Program Affairs, Hamdi Shaqqura.

The meeting reviewed the latest updates on the Palestinian national reconciliation and prospects and requirements of the next phase from the human rights viewpoint.

Shaqqura expressed optimism about the orientation and positive steps underway for the reconciliation brokered by Egypt.  He stressed that rehabilitation of the judicial authority and establishing an independent judiciary that enjoys confidence of society and all parties should be a priority in the next phase.

Shaqqura also emphasized that practical steps should be immediately taken in order to respond to the popular expectations from the reconciliation and strengthen the trust in which.

Shaqqura also called for immediately working on creating a positive atmosphere that would enable holding general and local elections.  In the same time, it is premature to speak about holding elections before starting to focus on the confidence-building measures by all parties and unleash the public freedoms critically affected by the division.