Majority of locales will not participate in PA municipal elections
The upcoming municipal elections, which were delayed several months amid disputes between Hamas and Fatah, are slated to take place in the West Bank only on May 13.
By ADAM RASGONUpdated: APRIL 10, 2017 00:07A demonstrator in Gaza City holds a Palestinian flag during a rally calling on rivals Hamas and Fatah to end their political division(photo credit: REUTERS)
Municipal elections will not take place in the majority of the West Bank’s 391 locales on election day, a senior Palestinian official said on Sunday.The upcoming municipal elections, which were delayed several months amid disputes between Hamas and Fatah, are slated to take place in the West Bank only on May 13.“Most municipalities either nominated a single list or no list at all,” Palestinian Authority Deputy Local Governance Minister Muhammad Hassan Jabarin told The Jerusalem Post. “So elections will not take place in the majority of our municipalities on election day.”Palestinian President votes in Fatah congress electionsThe PA Central Elections Commission announced on Saturday evening that 179 locales submitted one list, 56 locales turned in no list at all, and four locales handed over lists which were disqualified.“The uncontested lists automatically won,” Jabarin said.As for the 60 other locales, which have not nominated qualifying lists, Jabarin said that “completion elections” would be held a month after election day, without clarifying what would happen if the said locales fail to put forward qualifying lists again.In total, 152 locales are slated to hold elections on election day, according to the CEC.Fatah, the dominant political party in the West Bank, is expected to perform well in the elections as it is the only major political party participating.Hamas announced that it would boycott the elections in February, saying they should not be held until the Fatah-Hamas divide is mended.In the past month, tensions between the two rival parties have continued to increase with both sides accusing each other of neglecting Gaza.The Fatah Central Committee on Saturday created a special committee to hold a dialogue with Hamas and attempt to resolve differences.