The Higher Preparatory Committee for the National Council Elections Holds Its 11th Meeting in Ramallah

SadaNews - The Higher Preparatory Committee for the Palestinian National Council Elections held its eleventh meeting today, Thursday, chaired by the President of the National Council, Rouhi Fattouh.

The committee discussed a report presented by the head of the subcommittee for community outreach, Bassam al-Salhi, which summarized the results of the committee's meetings with several Palestinian civil institutions, including: the Working Women's Association, Al-Haq Foundation, Thabat Center for Research and Observing, the Jerusalem Legal Aid Center, the Independent Commission for Human Rights, Wasel Center for Youth Development, Musawah Center, Beitna Youth Foundation, the Freedom Defenders Center, Agricultural Relief, Women's Work Energy, and Key Institutions.

The summary of the subcommittee's report on community outreach included observations from representatives of civil society institutions regarding the general parliamentary elections, emphasizing the need to adhere to the program of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the basic law, and the Declaration of Independence, while affirming the right of any citizen wishing to participate in the elections, and the necessity of respecting the "quota" for women in elections, whether local, union elections, or general parliamentary elections.

It addressed the issue of representation, stressing the need not to confine elections to political parties.

They emphasized the necessity of not conducting elections until the political and security conditions allowed for the participation of our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and the need for political will to involve youth widely in the Palestinian political system through parliamentary elections.

Al-Salhi indicated that as a result of consultations with civil society institutions, it was decided to continue this dialogue with other institutions, with two meetings to be held weekly to yield a vision of the demands of civil society institutions and to ensure their involvement in the preparations for the upcoming National Council elections.

The head of the legal subcommittee, Saqr Bseiso, presented a summary of what his committee had worked on in previous days, as they drafted the Political Parties Law, which they will hand over to the Higher Preparatory Committee for the Palestinian National Council Elections in the coming days for discussion and amendments.

The chair of the diaspora subcommittee, Faisal Aranki, spoke about starting to prepare and receive lists of Palestinian figures worldwide who will have a role in preparing and following up on elections for the Palestinian people abroad.

The Higher Preparatory Committee for the National Council Elections stressed the need to adhere to the principle of expanding dialogue and solidifying national unity to confront the challenges in this perilous phase that we are going through, which the Palestinian people face, such as attempts of displacement, division, and the elimination of the establishment of a Palestinian state, asserting that there is no state without Gaza and without Jerusalem, and that the unity of Palestinian territories is a red line that cannot be crossed.

In turn, Fattouh called for the subcommittees to prepare their final reports and submit them to the higher committee to carry out its main task of mapping the road for the National Council elections.

He affirmed that what the Higher Preparatory Committee for the Palestinian National Council Elections is doing is considered a cornerstone for the success of the electoral process in Palestine and abroad, according to the vision of President Mahmoud Abbas when he issued the decree to form this committee.