Palestine Holds Municipal Elections in West Bank, Gaza Abstains

Palestinian Central Elections Commission's office in Gaza (File Photo: Reuters)
Palestinian Central Elections Commission's office in Gaza (File Photo: Reuters)
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Palestine Holds Municipal Elections in West Bank, Gaza Abstains

Palestinian Central Elections Commission's office in Gaza (File Photo: Reuters)
Palestinian Central Elections Commission's office in Gaza (File Photo: Reuters)

Palestinians in the West Bank elected their municipal councils in the second and final phase of the local elections after Hamas refused to hold them in the Gaza Strip, in a move that sparked widespread criticism.

Palestinians elected 50 local bodies in all governorates of the West Bank, including the areas under Israeli control.

Central Elections Commission chief Hanna Nasser said in a press conference that there is a remarkable turnout at the ballot boxes in the West Bank, expressing his regret that the commission was unable to hold elections in the Gaza Strip.

It was the second phase of municipal elections after the first round of voting in December in 154 West Bank villages.

Local elections are held every four years in the West Bank, but since taking control over the Gaza Strip in 2007, Hamas has banned them there.

The last elections were held jointly between the West Bank and Gaza, in 2004 and 2005 over three phases, then the Palestinian Authority (PA) announced three times that it wanted to hold elections in 2010 and 2011 without actually holding them.

Elections were held in 2012 and 2017 without Hamas.

Hamas refused to allow this year's local elections in protest at the indefinite postponement of parliamentary and presidential elections, saying they must be held within the dialogue and national consensus.

Legislative and presidential elections were supposed to occur in May and July, but President Mahmoud Abbas canceled them after Israel prevented them in Jerusalem, after 36 lists were registered, which sparked anger and disputes.

The European Union mission in Palestine welcomed the high turnout in the local elections in the West Bank, saying it is an evidence of the desire of Palestinian people to participate in decision-making.

EU spokesman Shadi Othman expressed his regret that the Palestinians in Gaza were not allowed to vote in this phase of local elections in conjunction with the West Bank, calling for the elections to be held there as soon as possible.

The EU spokesman affirmed the need for Israel to abide by the agreements signed with the Palestinians on allowing Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem to cast their votes, as Israel's refusal last year to allow voting in Jerusalem caused an open-ended postponement of Palestine's overdue legislative and presidential elections which would have been the first in 16 years.

Meanwhile, the deputy chairman of Fatah, Mahmoud al-Aloul, expressed his regret at Hamas' continued obstruction of elections in Gaza.

Member of People's Party politburo Walid al-Awad regretted Hamas' prevention of local elections in Gaza, considering this a negative sign, saying there was hope that all Palestinian governorates would be included in the polls.

Local elections are politically significant because they present an opportunity to prove the factions' strength and dominance among the public, which constitute another influential force in the local electoral battle.

The last completed village and municipal polls were held in the West Bank in 2017-2018 when Fatah won the majority of the seats after Hamas boycotted the elections.

Voter turnout for the second phase of the local elections reached 39 percent, for a total of 278,324, out of the overall number of eligible male and female voters of 715,413, to elect 234 lists running for 50 local councils. These lists include 2,306 candidates; 27 percent are women, all competing for 632 seats.

The votes counting process began Saturday night with more than 2,600 local observers, 300 international observers and guests, and more than 5,300 agents representing the competing lists of candidates.

Official results are expected to be announced Sunday.

Elections were held in 50 localities in the West Bank, including major cities and towns, while in 23 other localities, only one electoral list was nominated, which will win by acclamation.

Meanwhile, in 28 localities, no electoral lists were nominated, and in one particular locality, one electoral list was selected where the number of its candidates was lower than that of its council seats, which means the government will appoint the councils of these localities.



Egypt, Somalia Hold Talks to Boost Cooperation in Horn of Africa

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty with his Somali counterpart Ahmed Moalim Fiqi in Riyadh. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty with his Somali counterpart Ahmed Moalim Fiqi in Riyadh. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt, Somalia Hold Talks to Boost Cooperation in Horn of Africa

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty with his Somali counterpart Ahmed Moalim Fiqi in Riyadh. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty with his Somali counterpart Ahmed Moalim Fiqi in Riyadh. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Egypt and Somalia held new consultations on Monday as part of their high-level coordination that started early this year after Addis Ababa signed a deal with the breakaway Somaliland region, allowing it access to the Red Sea for trade and military purposes.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with his Somali counterpart Ahmed Moalim Fiqi in Riyadh on the sidelines of the Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit.

The meeting came to affirm Egypt’s contribution to the new peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which will replace the current African Union mission by January 2025.

It also came two days after Mogadishu excluded Addis Ababa from the mission due to its violations against Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Experts told Asharq Al-Awsat that consultations in Riyadh between the two ministers are a continuation of the process of strengthening Egyptian-Somali cooperation in the Horn of Africa in light of the rising risks both countries currently face due to Ethiopia’s behavior that threatens regional stability.

They noted that such cooperation would be fruitful for the region and could expand to include Eritrea and other countries, something Addis Ababa will consider a threat.

The experts expect Ethiopia either to retract its illegal positions regarding the Renaissance Dam and its deal with the Somaliland region, or cause additional escalation and tension in the region.

Last January, Ethiopia signed an initial agreement with Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland to use its Red Sea port.

The MoU grants Ethiopia 20-km access to the Red Sea, specifically in the Berbera port, for a 50-year period.

In return, Ethiopia will recognize Somaliland as a republic, which has not been internationally recognized since it broke away from Somalia in 1991.

The port deal with Somaliland faced opposition from Egypt and other Arab nations.

It also sparked tighter relations between Egypt and Somalia. In August, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed a military cooperation agreement in Cairo.

Later that month, Somalia announced the arrival of Egyptian military equipment and personnel in Mogadishu in the fight against the Al Shabab terrorist group.

On Saturday, Somali Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur officially announced that the Ethiopian troops will not be part of the forthcoming AUSSOM. He said Ethiopia was excluded due to its “violations against Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

During his meeting on Monday with the Somali FM, Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s unwavering stance in supporting Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, rejecting any foreign interference in its internal affairs, according to an Egyptian FM statement released on Tuesday.

He confirmed his country’s participation in the peacekeeping forces in Mogadishu and strengthening cooperation with Eritrea in the region.

The FM expressed Cairo’s commitment to continue coordinating with his Somali counterpart to follow up on the pledge made by the leaders of Egypt and Eritrea in early October to provide comprehensive support to Somalia.

Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s support for the Somali federal government’s efforts to combat terrorism and uphold the state’s sovereignty over its entire territory.

For his part, Fiqi expressed deep appreciation for Egypt’s unwavering support in helping his country combat terrorism, assert its sovereignty, and uphold its unity and territorial integrity.

Ambassador Salah Halima, Former Assistant Minister for Sudan's affairs in Egypt, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Egyptian assurances are part of both countries’ efforts to strengthen cooperation.

“This growing partnership, that also involves Eritrea, may expand to include other countries and would achieve development and stability in the region,” Halima said. “But Ethiopia, with its hostile actions towards Egypt and Somalia, will be the cause of continued escalation and tension,” he warned.

Sudanese expert on African affairs Abdul Nasser Haj said the current Egyptian-Somali understandings are completely consistent with events happening in the Horn of Africa region, especially Ethiopia’s escalating acts concerning the Renaissance Dam and its port deal with Somaliland.