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Current and former PMs stand in for ailing Arafat
Daily Star 10/30/2004
Hamas wishes president well -- Ailing Palestinian President Yasser Arafat''s powers have been temporarily passed to two veteran associates - both have served under him as prime minister - until he recovers or dies, officials said on Friday. But they emphasized that Arafat, 75, remained president and no major policy making was likely while he was ill and undergoing treatment in France. In a change of tone, Hamas said Friday it was setting aside its differences with Arafat and called for a united Palestinian leadership to work toward general elections.
Sha''ath: PA needs a general election
Ha''aretz 10/22/2004
BRUSSELS - The Palestinian Authority needs a general election to shake up the leadership, its foreign minister said on Friday, stressing the need for vibrant democracy in politics long dominated by PA Chairman Yasser Arafat. Nabil Sha''ath said elections could not take place until the security situation had improved, ruling out an early poll. "Elections are the single most important act of reform because elections turn a stale democracy to a vibrant democracy," Sha''ath told reporters after talks with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
Hamas to contest Palestine elections
Al-Jazeera 9/28/2004
Palestinian resistance group Hamas has signalled its intention to participate in upcoming elections which could see its influence deepen in the Occupied Territories. The organisation published newspaper adverts on Tuesday calling on its followers to vote in the election in the first sign the group is making the vote a high priority. Mahmud Zahhar, a Hamas leader, told al-Hayat newspaper that Hamas would contest legislative and presidential elections - the first time Hamas has made such a commitment.
SIS Poll: Majority of Palestinians Willing to Register for Upcoming Elections
International Press Center 9/23/2004
GAZA, Palestine, September 23, 2004 (IPC)-- A recent public opinion poll revealed that a majority of the Palestinian people want to register themselves as voters for the upcoming general Palestinian elections. The State Information Service (SIS), which conducted the poll between September 4 and September 9, on a sample of 950 Palestinians older 17 years from all provinces, disclosed that 51.9% of the sample wanted to participate in the presidential and legislative elections, while 16.3% didn''t want to do so, and 31.8% will decide after the elections take place.
Arafat Launches Registration for Palestinian Elections
Palestine Chronicle 9/9/2004
RAMALLAH, West Bank - President Yaser Arafat launched last Saturday a five-week registration process for the second Palestinian elections since 1996 and said that he would announce a date for general elections “immediately” after the first round of municipal voting in December, as the main opposition group and non-member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Hamas decided to compete in the polls.
The grand experiment: PA municipal elections to take place in December
Ha''aretz 8/25/2004
A great experiment is to take place in the Palestinian Authority the first week of December: Stage I of municipal and local council elections, the first ever under the PA. The elections are scheduled to take place in three stages over the course of a year, with the first elections to be held in 36 municipalities and local councils - 10 in the Gaza Strip and the rest in the West Bank.
Three conditions for Hamas''s participation in elections
International Middle East Media Center 8/23/2004
Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesperson of Hamas said, the movement set three conditions for its participation in the Legislative and presidential elections. The conditions are, holding the elections should not be based on Oslo agreement, instead, basing the election on a national memorandum between the PA and the Palestinian Political factions, in addition to taking the needed measures to guarantee fair elections.
Hamas to participate Palestinian elections
Xinhua 8/12/2004
GAZA, Aug. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Mahmoud al Zahar, a senior member of Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), asserted Thursday that the movement will participate in next local and legislative elections. "Hamas'' participation is conditioned that the elections should be fair," said Al Zahar in an interview with the Palestinian daily of al Quds published in east Jerusalem.
PNA To Hold First Palestinian Local Elections
Palestine Media Center 5/11/2004
Qurei Asks Quartet to Help Organize Legislative, Presidential Vote -- The Palestine National Authority (PNA) decided Monday to hold municipal elections in stages with the first voting to take place in the West Bank town of Jericho by the end of August, to be followed by local elections in the Gaza Strip, and appealed for international help in setting a date for general elections.
Palestinian Authority to Hold Local Vote
The Guardian 5/11/2004
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - The Palestinian Authority decided Monday to hold its first local elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, bowing to pressure to end chaos and corruption plaguing many Palestinian towns. The increasing anarchy persuaded a reluctant Yasser Arafat to allow the vote, the first electoral test of his government in eight years, officials said, despite fears that his opponents, particularly the violent Islamic Hamas, could gain ground.
Quraya ready to hold election
Al-Jazeera 10/20/2003
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Quraya has said he is ready to hold presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections in the occupied territories by June. But Quraya pointed out that elections could only be held if Israel withdrew its forces from Palestinian cities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and lifted a blockade on these areas. Quraya was installed this month as head of an emergency cabinet. Hasan Abu Libdah, director of Quraya''s office, quoted him as having told Palestinians that "we are ready to hold fair and honest elections in June, the latest".
Palestinian legislators set sights on new elections
Christian Science Monitor 8/19/2003
Lawmakers hope to hold municipal elections in some cities in the next two months -- RAMALLAH, WEST BANK – This city is the meeting place for the Palestinian legislative council whose members were elected to four-year terms - and stayed more than seven. Palestinian cities like this one have had municipal elections - but not since 1976. On a busy street corner, a struggling merchant says the job of Palestinian officials is "to steal the people''s money" and drive fancy cars.
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 Conflict..
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Diplomacy..
Leaders call for a peaceful intifada
The Guardian 8/27/2004
Palestinians'' triple strategy: polls, demonstrations and court cases -- The Palestinian leadership has announced a three-point programme of non-violent resistance in an attempt to wrest the diplomatic initiative from Israel. They hope to push Israel into allowing elections, to lead mass protests against the separation barrier and the maltreatment of prisoners, and to challenge Israel in the international courts. Palestinian militant groups have yet to reach an agreement on stopping violence, but in effect violence has fallen to its lowest level since October 2000.
Quartet tells Palestinians to carry out reforms or lose aid
Ha''aretz 7/7/2004
Envoys tell PM Qureia they are ''sick and tired'' of Palestinian failure to carry out reforms; diplomat says Arafat ''has done nothing.''The quartet of Middle East mediators are "sick and tired" of Palestinians failing to carry out reforms and told them on Wednesday to act soon or risk losing international support and aid, diplomats said. In another sign of growing pressure for change on besieged Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, results from grassroots elections for his Fatah movement in the Gaza Strip showed reformers sweeping the field, Fatah officials said.
Washington objects Holding Presidential Election in Palestine
International Middle East Media Center 7/2/2004
U.S. official sources said today that the U.S. administration opposes an initiative to hold presidential elections in Palestine suggested for January 2005. Having said so, Washington adopts the Israeli position that rejects such an initiative, claiming that this is an attempt by the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to "regain" international recognition as a legitimate president through democratic elections.
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Human
Rights..
PCHR Condemns Continued Closure of 6 Election Registration Centers by Israeli Occupying Authorities in Jerusalem
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 9/21/2004
PCHR condemns the continued closure of 6 Palestinian election registration centers in Jerusalem, believing that this measure obstructs preparations for holding Palestinian elections and violate the rights of Palestinians to register to, and participate in the elections.According to information available to PCHR, on 13 September 2004, Israeli occupying troops closed 6 election registration centers in the neighborhoods of al-Tour and al-Thawri; the villages of Silwan, Shu''fat and al-''Eisawiya; and Shu''fat refugee camp.
Early troubles for Palestinian voter registration
BBC 9/21/2004
This month the Palestinians began a registration drive to prepare for municipal, presidential and parliamentary elections. An Israeli military closure order is posted to the door of an empty office in a community centre that sits astride the dusty streets of the Shufat Palestinian refugee camp in Israeli occupied East Jerusalem. The office didn''t belong to a political party inciting violence, or to a militant Islamic group. It was a centre to register voters for planned Palestinian elections, and the Israelis have shut it down along with five others in the city.
The Political Representation of Palestinian Women in Local Politics in Israel - 2003
Mossawa Center 12/16/2003
Another Municipal election has ended and the results regarding the representation of Palestinian women in Israel is as disappointing as ever, if not more so: each time there is hope that this time – since Palestinian women are more educated, more active, have greater initiative and willingness to compete in the political field and confront conventions – their representation will grow. This time, however, only three women were elected as council members – two in Nazareth and one in Ilabon, a village in the Galilee – two from Hadash and one from the Islamic Movement. The names we heard prior to the election evaporated, just as they did in previous elections.
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People..
Poll: 51% of Palestinians Only Believe that PA Will Implement Reforms
International Middle East Media Center 10/1/2004
While 93% of Palestinians support calls for reforms, only 51% of them believe that the Palestinian Authority is serious about implementing security and political reforms, a poll published on Thursday said. The poll, which was conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, indicted a rise in the number of Palestinians who blame the PA rather than Israel for the lack of reforms; 36% this month as compared to 25% only in a similar poll in March. "Doubts exist about the seriousness of the Palestinian Authority in holding elections, implementing reform, of dealing with corruption. The public therefore views the Authority''s performance in very negative terms," the center said.
Readings in Bir Zeit University Students'' Council Elections
By Ghassan Andoni, International Middle East Media Center 12/12/2003
For the first time in 3 years students and the University administration decided to run elections for the student''s council in Bir Zeit University. The decision to run the elections was a difficult one and faced serious objections from the side of the Palestinian Authority. It came in a still problematic situation with the crisis, which started in September 2000, is still ongoing. An election at Bir Zeit University is expected to have a snowball effect. More than 17 other universities and higher education institutes are expected to follow in the coming few weeks.
Palestinian public opinion poll, October 2003
Alternative Information Center/Palestinian center for policy and survey research 11/30/2003
07-14 October 2003 - These are the results of opinion poll # 9, conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) between 07-14 October 2003. The poll deals with Arafat’s popularity and other domestic issues, peace and security, public perception of the United States, and local elections. The total sample size of this poll is 1318 from Palestinians 18 years and older, interviewed face-to-face in West Bank (823) and in Gaza Strip (495), in 120 locations. The margin of error is 3%.
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International..
Arabs heed Obama’s call for change
Alaa Bayoumi, Al Jazeera 2/4/2008
If it were not for Barack Obama, many Arabs would not even bother to follow the results of the US presidential race on Super Tuesday. Such gloomy views could be attributed to Arabs’ negative attitudes toward governments and politics in general. Arabs have been living under authoritarian governments, many of them US allies, for decades. And the US’s traditional support for Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian land, coupled with the war on Iraq, has meant Arab mistrust of the US has dipped to new lows in recent years. Against this backdrop, it is easy to see why many Arabs will not be following the latest news from the US presidential primary elections. ’Offensive’ rhetoric Many do not see any serious differences between the Republican and Democratic candidates who are taking part in the race.
Ahmadinejad battles on the home front
Khody Akhavi, Asia Times 2/5/2008
WASHINGTON - Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has garnered headlines around the world for his defiance of Washington, as well as his rhetorical grandstanding on Palestinian issues, Israel and his government’s alleged support of Shi’ite militias in Iraq. Still, it appears that Iran’s parliamentary elections in March will be determined less by debates over the country’s foreign policy than by rising criticism of incompetence and economic mismanagement of conservatives and hardliners in the legislature and in Ahmadinejad’s office." Ahmadinejad is in trouble, not only because his economic policies have not worked; he has managed to antagonize almost the entire Iranian elite because of his exclusivist management style," said Farideh Farhi, an independent researcher on Iran and political scientist at the University of Hawaii.
IRAN: Ahmadinejad Caught Between Reformists and Hardliners
Khody Akhavi, Inter Press Service 1/28/2008
WASHINGTON, Jan 28(IPS) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has garnered headlines around the world for his defiance of Washington, as well as his rhetorical grandstanding on Palestinian issues, the existence of Israel, and his government’s alleged support of Shiite militias in Iraq. Still, it appears that Iran’s upcoming parliamentary elections in March will be determined less by debates over the country’s foreign policy than by rising criticism of incompetence and economic mismanagement of conservatives and hardliners in the legislature and in the office of the president.
"Ahmadinejad is in trouble, not only because his economic policies have not worked; he has managed to antagonise almost the entire Iranian elite because of his exclusivist management style," said Farideh Farhi, an independent researcher on Iran and political scientist at the University of Hawaii.
Mideast press urges action on Gaza
BBC Online 6/14/2007
The Palestinian press makes an urgent appeal for action to prevent the violence in Gaza from turning into a full-blown civil war, urging President Abbas to call a state of emergency and ask for intervention from the region’s Arab states. Papers in the wider Middle East blame the violence on Palestinian leaders and demand fresh elections to resolve the power struggle between the Hamas and Fatah factions. In Israel, commentators ponder how the country should react to the Palestinian infighting, with one advocating a total withdrawal of Israeli troops and settlers from the occupied territories. -
Palestinian AL-QUDS --
It seems we have reached the point of no return in this infighting and are witnessing the beginnings of civil war.
Lebanon factions resume talks
AlJazeera 3/22/2006
Leaders of Lebanon''s rival factions have resumed talks on the fate of the country''s pro-Syrian president and a UN call for the disarmament of the Hizb Allah group. The talks come amid signs that an agreement remains elusive on the two issues that threaten to destabilise the country. The discussions, which began on 2 March, have focused on a 2004 UN Security Council resolution that calls for disarming Hizb Allah and Palestinian fighters. The resolution also urged new presidential elections. It was passed in September 2004, days before Lebanese legislators extended Emile Lahoud''s term for three years.
Chirac vows ''voice of reason'' on Iran
Daily Star 3/6/2006
French president labels cartoon row a ''clash of ignorance'' -- RIYADH: French President Jacques Chirac said Sunday the West would still reach out to Iran for a deal on its disputed nuclear file, in the first address to the Saudi consultative council by a foreign leader. The president''s wide-ranging speech in Riyadh also covered Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian elections, reform in the conservative monarchy and the "clash of civilizations" between the West and Islam. "In Iran, the voice of reason that France, the United Kingdom and Germany wanted to be heard on the nuclear file has not been heard, for the time being," Chirac told the appointed advisory council, an all-male body of 150 members.
Palestinian Americans Push Religious Pluralism in P.A.
Forward 2/17/2006
WASHINGTON — Palestinian American activists are vowing to lobby Hamas against turning the West Bank and Gaza into an Islamic theocracy. Anxious about the victory of the Islamic fundamentalist group in last month''s Palestinian parliamentary elections, Palestinian American leaders say that they will push for laws favoring American-style church-state separation, pluralism, equality and inclusiveness. "We are at the time when defining decisions may very well be made in Palestine," said Ziad Asali, president of the American Task Force on Palestine. The task force is a prominent pro-Palestinian advocacy group in Washington.
Disagreement With Gaza Disengagement Sours Orthodox on Bush
Forward 6/24/2005
As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders this week, cracks were emerging in the coalition of Jewish conservatives that rallied this past November around the claim that President Bush was "the best friend Israel ever had in Washington." Many influential Republican loyalists and non-Orthodox hawks appear to be remaining firm in their support of Bush. But a growing number of Orthodox activists who were avidly courted by Bush in the 2004 election are feeling distinctly dismayed as the administration embraces Israel''s Gaza disengagement plan and presses for more aid to the Palestinians.
Elections give hope to Palestinian refugees
Daily Star 6/7/2005
BEIRUT: Palestinian refugees living in squalid and overcrowded camps dare to hope the legislative elections will directly improve their lives. "I have been monitoring the elections to see if they will bring change," said Mohammad al-Daoud, 21, outside Beirut''s Chatilla camp where portraits of candidates jostle those of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Some 400,000 Palestinian refugees live in 12 refugee compounds in South Lebanon, where conditions are often harsh and permanent citizenship is denied to all. Fouad Abed, 36, complained that the candidate he was rooting for lost in the first part of the four-stage elections that took place May 29.
El Salvador group opens park in honor of late Palestinian leader Arafat
Ha''aretz 5/25/2005
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - A new plaza on Jerusalem Avenue was inaugurated Wednesday in honor of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, despite criticism from the Israeli Embassy in El Salvador. "We are making a monument to the maximum leader of the struggle for the liberation of Palestine," said one of the promoters, businessman John Nasser, as the square with a large bust of Arafat was inaugurated. Migrants from Palestine flowed to El Salvador for decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and several families became prominent in business and politics. Both President Tony Saca and his rival in last year''s election, Schafik Handal, are sons of families that migrated from the Palestinian city of Bethlehem.
AIPAC Losing this Fight
Electronic Intifada 3/7/2005
Press Release, Council for the National Interest -- AIPAC has been taken aback by new Mideast resolutions. Last month the House and the Senate each passed their own resolutions expressing support for the Palestinian Authority in the wake of their successful presidential elections. The Washington Jewish Week reported that many on the Hill feel the Israel lobby was caught asleep on this one. The problem for the lobby was simple: popular support and optimism after the Palestinian presidential elections took the wind out of any possible grounds for raising opposition to the resolutions.
Arabs warmly welcome Abbas election
Middle East Online 1/10/2005
Analysts, officials hail election of Mahmud Abbas as Palestinian leader, pay tribute to strong voter turnout. -- Arabs gave a warm welcome Monday to the election of Mahmud Abbas as Palestinian leader, admiring a successful exercise in Arab democracy and hoping that a strong voter turnout will bolster his position. Analyst Nabil Abdel Fattah of Cairo''s Al Ahram Center of Strategic Studies said the high turnout and the strong result for Mahmud Abbas "gives him the necessary legitimacy for his plans to resolve the conflict" with Israel.
Press Review: ''The hour of truth has arrived''
The Guardian 1/11/2005
Mahmoud Abbas wins but how will events now develop? -- Times, Editorial, January 10 - "After [Sunday''s] election ... there was a palpable feeling that something had changed ... Mahmoud Abbas, the pragmatist favoured by Israel and the outside world ... won a triumphant victory ... to succeed the late ... Yasser Arafat as president of the Palestinian Authority ...
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