Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Sunday announced the new
edition of the Palestinian electoral law, which was given
adjustments favorable to Abbas' Fatah against the rival Hamas in
the future elections.
Abbas ratified the Palestinian elections law from being half
proportional and half constituencies to become fully
proportional.
The proportional system means that a list of candidates is
presented by each competing party or movement, and the Palestinians
all over the territories will be asked to vote for the list.
The constituency system is that each district in Gaza and the
West Bank prepares a list of candidates and the residents of each
district vote for the list.
During last elections in January 2006 where the two systems were
followed, Abbas' Fatah movement did very well in the proportional
system but suffered a great loss in the constituencies system,
Palestinian observers said.
Palestinian voters balloted for a 66-candidate list in the
proportional system while another 66 candidates have to be elected
in the constituencies. The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) is
comprised of 132 members.
Hamas defeated Fatah overwhelmingly in 2006 legislative
elections, during which it won a large majority in the district
voting prior to the end of the national voting.
Meanwhile, Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for Hamas, told reporters
in Gaza that his movement which controls the Gaza Strip since mid
June, rejects Abbas' decree and considers it as "illegal."
"It aims at depriving Hamas movement from joining any future
legislative elections," said Barhoum.
Abbas, for his part, insisted that he has the right to amend the
electoral law.
"It is my right as a president to legislate laws and decisions
that are called decrees. These decrees are legal, as long as the
Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) is not able to convene,"
Abbas said in a press conference held Sunday.
"If the PLC is able to convene, then it would be its right to
pass my decree or reject it," said Abbas.
The Presidential decree also said the candidate should be
committed to the declaration of independence made in November 15,
1988 in Algeria, and should be committed to the Palestinian basic
law.
The overhaul of the law was seen as the latest measure taken by
Abbas in competing with the rival Hamas, which stands against his
power in Gaza since its violent takeover the enclave in
mid-June.
(Xinhua News Agency September 3, 2007)
