The Central Elections Commission (CEC) said yesterday that as per the preliminary register of electoral lists for the second and final phase of the local elections scheduled for March 26, 259 electoral lists will be competing in 73 West Bank localities out of a total of 101 localities.
In 50 localities, said the CEC, more than one electoral list was nominated, which means there will be elections. In 23 other localities, only one electoral list was nominated, which means the sole in each locality will win by acclamation. Whereas in 28 localities, no electoral lists were nominated, and in one particular locality, one electoral list was nominated where the number of its candidates was lower than that of its council seats, which means the councils of these localities will be appointed by the government.
The CEC further explained that among the accepted electoral lists, 178 were independent and 81 came from political parties (as in representing a political faction or political coalition). The number of candidates nominated for all electoral lists reached 2,537, including 678 women accounting for 26.7% of all candidates.
The demographic of candidates according to the age group is as follows: 59% for ages younger than 45, 23% for ages 46-55, and 18% for candidates over 55 years of age.
The CEC said that the final register of electoral lists and candidates will be published on March 12 after allowing the public to contest any of the lists or candidates.
The first phase of local elections was held on December 11 in 154 small and medium-sized localities in the West Bank only after Hamas, the de facto power in the Gaza Strip, refused to allow elections in the besieged sea enclave.
The second phase will cover the remaining West Bank cities, towns, and large villages as the Gaza Strip remains out of the elections picture.
Speaking at the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting today, Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said that with the publication of the lists of candidates for the second phase of local elections, “the electoral process has entered an important stage up to the polling day to freely elect the lists representing the citizens in municipal councils.”
He expressed hope that this will lead toward holding legislative elections in all the governorates of the homeland, including Jerusalem.
Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)