The Palestinian Central Elections Commission announced May 15 the results of local elections in the West Bank. The elections were held on May 13 and included 326 local bodies with 3,235 seats, with the participation of independent lists, as well as lists from Fatah, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Palestinian Democratic Union, the Democratic Alliance, the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front and the Palestinian People's Party. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine chose to boycott the elections.

The Palestinian voter turnout was, however, very low. The total number of voters reached about 420,000 of 787,000 eligible voters — i.e., a 53% voter turnout. The voting percentage reached 23% in al-Bireh, 20% in Nablus, 53% in Qalqilya, 49% in Hebron, 40% in Tulkarm and 56% in Jenin.

In this context, Raed Enairat, a political science professor at an-Najah National University in Nablus and the head of the Contemporary Center for Studies and Policy Analysis, told Al-Monitor, “The low turnout is due to Hamas and other factions boycotting the local elections. Nablus — the West Bank’s largest city in terms of population — had the lowest voting percentage. Perhaps Palestinians did not participate because they do not see local elections as a priority, as they do not feel their political participation could help achieve the change they aspire, such as making way for political freedoms in the West Bank, establishing periodic elections and peaceful rotation of power, and putting an end to corruption.”

Enairat added, “This reluctance is solid proof that the relationship of factions with their members no longer matters to Palestinians and that partisan affiliation and organizational discipline is no longer a priority. However, if parliamentary and presidential elections were to be held, participation could be significant as Hamas and Fatah, both of which would participate in the elections, would call on their members to vote.”