PRESS RELEASE

Released @ 13.00 hours GMT 10th March 1997

The Palestinian Legislative Council: One Year On

On 8th March 1997 the PCHR organised a one day seminar to assess and evaluate the activities and progress of the Legislative Council since its first session on 6th March 1996.

The seminar was part of the Programme of the Centre’s Democratic Development Unit. The Unit’s activities include the promotion and development of democratic values and institutions in Palestinian society. The Centre works in close co-operation with the Legislative Council, maintaining a relationship which enables us to lobby the Council so that we can affect PNA decisions; while offering advice and counsel on democratic development and human rights issues.

Speakers at the seminar were:

i. Members of the Legislative Council

The following were invited to assess their own experiences and to evaluate the work of the Council from within: Nahed al-Rayyis, Deputy Speaker of the Council; Dr Haider Abdel Shaafi, Head of the Political Committee of the Council; Fakhri Shaqoura, Head of Interior and Security Affairs; Abdul Karim Abu Salah, Head of the Legal Committee; Dr. Kamal Sharafi, Head of the Committee for Monitoring of Public Freedoms; Ibrahim Abu al-Najar, Member of Council.

ii. Representatives of Palestinian opposition groups

These groups boycotted the Council elections in January 1996. They were asked to comment on the Council’s work over the last year and to retrospectively assess their own rejectionist positions vis a vis the Council.

It was a unanimous conclusion of the seminar that the Legislative Council is the cornerstone of Palestinian democratic development and provides the Palestinian people for the first time in modern history with the opportunity to take decisions and to make their own laws through democratic processes.

However it was also concluded that the following pitfalls had inhibited the work of the Council:

1. The Council suffered from a lack of experience amongst members in parliamentary affairs and a lack of familiarity with the processes. Consequently it took time for the Council to organise itself.

2. Relations between the Council and the executive suffered as a result of the lack of the co-operation from the executive in terms of implementing decisions and recommendations of the Council.

3. The strict closure, imposed by Israel throughout most of 1996, imposed restrictions on freedom of movement which undermined Council activity, as Members were unable to reach Council Sessions. The proceedings of the workshop are currently being transcribed and will be available shortly.