Youth Institutions Alliance Talks with Justice Minister on Amending Local Election Law

SadaNews - The Youth Institutions Alliance in Palestine held a public policy session yesterday, Thursday, titled "Towards a Fairer Electoral Law: Lowering the Age of Candidacy and Expanding Participation" at the headquarters of the Qamat Foundation, one of the alliance's institutions in the city of Al-Bireh, with the participation of His Excellency Minister of Justice Advisor Sharhabil Al-Za'im and a number of representatives from youth institutions from various provinces.

The session was moderated by Dr. Mohammed Arikat, representative of the Shahed Center for Citizen Rights and Social Development, who opened the discussion by emphasizing the importance of creating permanent communication channels between decision-makers and youth entities, considering this a necessary entry point for reforming and developing public policies and ensuring fair representation.
The session primarily addressed proposals for amending the local election law, foremost among them lowering the age of candidacy to 23 years instead of 25, thus providing broader opportunities for youth to actively participate in political and public life. The attendees also discussed the idea of shifting to an open-list system, which enhances transparency and accountability, allowing voters to choose their representatives based on competence rather than just party affiliation, especially in light of the partisan and tribal polarization that characterized local elections in previous rounds.

In his speech, Minister of Justice Sharhabil Al-Za'im stressed that the Palestinian citizen must be the authority, pointing out that the ministry launched a legislative platform that allows citizens to view draft laws and provide their comments on them. He also emphasized the importance of reviewing previous experiences, clarifying that laws must be built according to the real needs of the community and adjusted in line with those needs.

For his part, Anas Al-Asta, the coordinator of the alliance, affirmed that "any legal amendment must be built in partnership with the affected groups, and not in isolation from them," considering that lowering the age of candidacy is a step towards restoring the role of youth but is not sufficient unless accompanied by a serious political will to reopen the public space.

Jihad Namoura, a member of the alliance from the humanitarian action group, pointed out the necessity for the Ministry of Justice to develop its tools in communicating with youth by using digital media and modern communication platforms, which would enable the creation of actual and accessible dialogue channels.

The discussion also touched on the development of standards and mechanisms that enhance participation, contributing to the role of local governance councils in development and the ability to enhance resilience and tackle poverty and unemployment rates.

This session is part of a series of policy meetings organized by the alliance with decision-makers in Palestine, aimed at strengthening youth participation in shaping public policies and linking national legislation to the needs of younger generations.

It is noteworthy that the Youth Institutions Alliance was established about two years ago at the initiative of the Land Center for Research, Studies, and Policies, which plays the role of logistical support for the alliance and includes more than fifty institutions working in the youth sector across various provinces.