RAMALLAH – The Fatah movement, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, has posted a strong win in local elections held recently in municipalities across the occupied West Bank and in a rare ballot in the Gaza Strip. The vote, conducted under challenging circumstances, offers fresh insight into the Palestinian political landscape.
The Palestinian Central Elections Commission announced final results on Sunday for races in 183 municipalities. Commission chairman Rami Hamdallah described the electoral process, which saw voting in the Gaza city of Deir al-Balah for the first time in nearly two decades, as one conducted with "integrity and transparency" despite "extremely complex" conditions.
"The inclusion of Deir al-Balah reflected our efforts to treat the West Bank and Gaza as a single geographic unit," Hamdallah stated at a news conference in al-Bireh. He noted that Israeli authorities refused to allow election materials into Gaza, forcing local officials to produce ballots and boxes locally.
Turnout was reported at 56 percent in the West Bank, but only 23 percent in Deir al-Balah. Hamdallah attributed the low participation in Gaza to outdated voter records and the profound impact of the ongoing conflict, including deaths and displacement.
In a significant outcome, candidates aligned with President Abbas's Fatah party and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority swept the elections in the West Bank, often running unchallenged. In Deir al-Balah, the Fatah-backed Nahdat Deir al‑Balah list secured six of the 15 contested seats.
The Islamist group Hamas, which ousted the PA from Gaza in 2007 and currently governs the territory, did not formally nominate candidates. However, a list widely seen as aligned with the movement, Deir al‑Balah Brings Us Together, won only two seats. The remaining seats were taken by local groups not affiliated with either major faction.
The results are being closely watched as a potential indicator of public sentiment. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the elections underscored the need to renew Palestinian political institutions and called for long-delayed legislative and presidential elections.
Approximately 522,000 people voted out of roughly 1.03 million eligible voters, according to the commission's figures. The exercise marks a tentative step toward reviving a unified Palestinian electoral process amid deep political and geographical divisions.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
