Date: 11 January 2017

Place: CEC HQ in Ramallah and Gaza Regional Office via video conference

 Session minutes:

- The CEC discussed the possibility of holding local elections soon in light of recent legal amendments to elections law and the formation of the elections court. The Commission expressed the importance of having the court formed in consensus with all parties to ensure holding of nationwide elections as stipulated by the law.

- The CEC stressed its position on having no interference in any amendments to the electoral system or election laws. The CEC is an executive body and may not therefore interfere or give opinions on this regard. However, the CEC recommends having consensus on any electoral system that will be selected within an adequate timeline to be implemented.

- The CEC decided to authorize the CEC Chairman to appoint an advocate to represent the CEC before competent authorities with regards to obtaining permit for the CEC’s new HQ.

- The CEC discussed the executive management proposal with regards to the payment of end of service benefits to employees who are not affiliated to the government pension system as of the date of application of the social security law. The CEC decided to continue with the applicable procedures until the actual implementation of the law.

- It was decided to hold a meeting at CEC’s headquarters in Ramallah, as soon as possible, in the presence of all Commissioners, to resume discussions on the financial and administrative regulations of the Commission. 

Date: 1 February 2017

Place: CEC HQ in Ramallah and Gaza Regional Office via video conference

 Session minutes:

- The CEC discussed the Cabinet’s decision to hold the local elections on 13 May 2017 in all local authorities. The Chairman and Commissioners expressed the Commission’s full abidance by the decision. 
- The Commission stressed the importance of having the president and members of the Elections Cases Court formed of impartial judges and selected in consensus with all parties, as expressed by the Minister of Local Government, Dr. Hussein al-A'araj, during his visit yesterday to CEC’s HQ.
- The CEC Chairman pointed out that the CEC made contacts with various parties to enable the conduct of elections across the country in coordination with all factions and political parties to enable all voters to freely and democratically participate in the electoral process. The CEC decided to resume contacts with concerned parties until this is achieved.

Date: 8 April 2017

Place: CEC Headquarters in Ramallah- Gaza through video conference.

Minutes:

-The CEC reviewed the received 760 nomination applications to ensure they meet the legal nomination conditions.

- The CEC approved 739 applications which met the legal requirements.

- The CEC refused the nomination of 6 electoral lists for failing to meet the legal requirements.

- The CEC approved the withdrawal of nominations of 15 lists.

- The CEC decided to publish the preliminary register of approved electoral lists on Sunday, 9 April 2017 at the HQ of district offices, local authorities and CEC’s webpage.

- The CEC initially approved in light of the available data and nominated lists that elections will take place in 152 localities. In 179 localities there were only one nominated list in each (acclamation) in addition to 56 localities where no lists were nominated and in 4 localities only one list in each submitted incomplete nomination applications  (the number of candidates was less that the designated locality council seats).

- The CEC set the date for the next meeting on 15/4/2017 at 10:00 am to review submitted objections.

Date: 15 April 2017

Place: CEC Headquarters in Ramallah- Gaza through video conference.

Minutes:

- The CEC discussed the received objections to nominations of lists and their candidates for local elections, examined each objection separately along with the submitted evidence by objectors and objected to each in detail.

- The CEC decided to refuse all of the 96 objections to nominations received during the objections period of three days. The CEC also decided to officially notify the relevant parties of its decision.

- The CEC decided to authorize CEO, Hisham Kuhail with all legal cases and objections filed on behalf of the CEC or against it before relevant courts and to appoint attorneys for this purpose.

Date: 14 May 2017

Place: CEC Headquarters in Ramallah- Gaza through video conference.

Minutes:

- CEC Chairman thanked the CEC Commissioners and staff for making a success of the electoral process.

- The CEC maintains hope for the local elections to be held in the Gaza Strip soon and is ready to move in that direction.

- The CEC approved the preliminary results of the 2017 local elections which will be announced during a press conference at CEC media center after the meeting.

Date: 8 June 2017

Place: CEC Headquarters in Ramallah- Gaza through video conference.

Minutes:

- The CEC reviewed the Cabinet decision calling for complementary local elections to be held on 29 July 2017 and approved the timeline submitted by the CEC’s executive office.

- The CEC discussed the proposition made by the commissioners in Gaza with regards to the rental of a new headquarters, Commissioners in Gaza were authorized to follow up on this matter in accordance to CEC’s procedures.

Date: 3 July 2017

Place: CEC Headquarters in Ramallah- Gaza through video conference.

Minutes: 

The CEC discussed the decision of the Cabinet issued on 30 May 2017, which sets the date of 14 October as the date of holding local elections in the southern governorates. The CEC had officially informed the Cabinet on 20 February 2017 of the inability to hold local elections in the Gaza Strip which was assigned on 13 May 2017, and as there was no change in the political circumstances that had called for its postponement since then, the CEC decided to recommend to the Cabinet to postpone the holding of local elections the Gaza Strip until the appropriate political conditions are in place. 

Date: 30 July 2017

Place: CEC Headquarters in Ramallah- Gaza through video conference.

Minutes: 

CEO, Hisham Kuhail, presented a report on the progress of complementary local elections which went smoothly without any challenges that would have affected the election results. CEO pointed out that elections did not take place in 38 localities in which no electoral lists were nominated.

- The CEC approved the preliminary local elections results in 14 localities and decided to publish the results onto CEC’s Webpage.

- The CEO presented a report on the financial status of the Commission stating that the needed a mount from the Ministry of finance until this date has exceeded 5 million Shakles and that the deficit  is tremendously affecting the CEC. He also indicated that the Ministry of Finance has informed the CEC that its budget got next year will not have any increase.

- In light of the financial data, the CEC has decided the:

1. Suspension of disbursements of annual allowances as of 1/1/2018 until further notice.

2. Suspension of new appointments.

Date: 9 October 2017

Place: Amman-Jordan

Minutes: 

• The CEC discussed future preparations in case of a call for nationwide general elections or local elections in Gaza Strip in light of reconciliation and stressed on its preparedness.

• The CEC reviewed the 2017 local elections report issued recently which will be distributed to elections stakeholders and relevant official bodies and published online.

• The CEC discussed the report by the State Audit and Control Bureau and expressed content to the results.

• Head of Audit and control unit at the CEC presented the internal monitoring report, based on which the Commissioners decided the following:

- The CEC executive office follow up on the implementation of the recommendations of the Audit and Control unit or to present remarks on the recommendations before the next meeting.

- Prepare the 2018 budget and approve it before the end of the year.

- Assessing and approving the necessary development projects before signing and implementation with donors.

- In light of CEC’s policy to minimize expenditure at this stage, it has been decided to cut the contribution of the CEC to health insurance from 50% to 30% where the employee bears 70% of the annual insurance fees.

Date: 14 December 2017

Place: CEC HQ in Ramallah- regional office in Gaza via Skype.

Minutes: 

- Minutes of last session were approved.

- CEO presented what has been achieved on the recommendations of the Internal Audit and Control report and stressed that work is ongoing to respond to the remaining recommendations before the end of the year.

-The Executive Office presented the CEC’s budget for 2018 and following discussions, the budget was approved.

- The CEC decided to form a committee to follow up on the executive administration recommendations to match to the CEC assets with CEC’s financial position and to take the necessary decisions on this regard. The committee members include:

Ms. Lamis Al-Alami.

Dr. Khawla Shakhshir

Dr. Yousif Awadallah.

The Committee shall meet and present recommendations during the next CEC’s meeting.