Bethlehem – Ma’an – Two prominent Palestinian human rights organizations came out against President Mahmoud Abbas’ decree for elections in January this week.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) and the Al-Mezan Center for Human rights, both based in Gaza, said that elections are neither possible nor desirable in the absence of a national unity agreement.

“The ongoing crisis in the PNA is purely political and not legal or constitutional. The only solution is continuing the comprehensive national dialogue,” said PCHR in a statement. “The debate over the constitutionality of the decree does not cope with the essence of the conflict and its very political nature.”

PCHR said elections “are not possible without reaching a comprehensive national reconciliation that can end fragmentation and restore the dignity of the legislative, executive and judicial institutions of the Palestinian government.”

“Holding elections requires an appropriate electoral environment,” PCHR said, “Including allowing public freedoms; releasing political prisoners; lifting the ban imposed on political activities (those imposed on Hamas in the West Bank and on the Fatah movement in the Gaza Strip).”

Abbas issued the decree last Friday that legislative and Presidential elections will be held on 24 January, a step opposed by Hamas, which wants to sign a unity deal before holding elections.

Hamas came to power in parliamentary elections in 2006, before taking full control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007. The Gaza takeover compelled Abbas to dissolve a unity government, leaving the country in its current state of disunity.

The elections decree raised the possibility that Hamas will not allow elections to go

The Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights said that “Realities on the ground indicate that holding free elections in the oPt in the absence of reconciliation will be impossible.”

“Notwithstanding the importance of elections as a component of democracy that guarantees the peaceful transfer of power,” Al-Mezan said, “accountability and citizen participation, such goals cannot be achieved without national reconciliation between all Palestinian political groups.”

Electoral reform

PCHR also said, “The Central Elections Commission must be reformed in order to be acceptable to all parties as an independent and impartial body capable of organizing and supervising elections.”

In a statement on Tuesday, however, the Central Elections Commission (CEC) said it “would like to confirm its readiness to administer general elections.”

“Despite the difficult internal situation in Palestine, the CEC maintains hope that the situation will improve in the near future,” the commission said.

The CEC said, “The political circumstances should not prevent anyone from viewing elections as a legal constitutional entitlement.”