Palestinian electoral commission: Israel might hinder upcoming local elections
The head of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission, Hanna Nasir, reveals to Al-Monitor that Hamas agreed to run in the Palestinian local elections set for Oct. 8.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Hanna Nasir, the chairman of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission (CEC) located in al-Bireh, said that Hamas has formally agreed to run for the municipal elections scheduled to be held on Oct. 8. The last elections were held in 2005 in all Palestinian territories (the West Bank and Gaza Strip). The upcoming elections come seven years after the four-year term of the local councils ended in 2009, a hiatus that resulted from the internal Palestinian division.
Hamas received reassurances from the CEC that the elections will be held under appropriate conditions, whereby freedoms will be preserved and the decisions of the Gaza courts vis-a-vis the elections’ results will be respected.
In his interview with Al-Monitor, Nasir expressed concerns about potential Israeli restrictions on the entry of electoral material, such as brochures and ballot boxes, into the Gaza Strip. He also fears that Israel might not issue permits for CEC staff to enter the Gaza Strip through the Erez border crossing, and that Israel may apprehend some candidates or ban campaigns for some electoral lists.
The text of the interview follows:
