Hamas boycotts West Bank elections, members run in independent lists
Hamas members joined independent lists and alliances in the second round of the West Bank municipal elections, despite the movement’s official boycott of the vote.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Palestinian Central Elections Commission announced on March 27 the results of the recent municipal elections held in the West Bank. According to the commission, independent lists won 64.4% of the total 632 contested local council seats, whereas partisan lists won 35.6% of the seats.
The final voter turnout for the second round of the municipal elections reached 53.69% out of the 715,413 eligible voters, according to the commission.
Palestinians in the West Bank voted on March 26 in the second round of the municipal elections, the fourth local elections since the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) inception in 1995.
Hamas had announced it would boycott the elections in the West Bank and refused to hold them in the Gaza Strip, where the movement has been in control since 2007. Hamas conditioned its participation in the local elections on holding presidential and legislative elections. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad also said it would boycott the municipal elections.
