The Central Elections Commission, today, met in Ramallah to review challenges submitted by a number of citizens to the CEC regarding the registration of candidates which ended at midnight 14/12/2005.
A number of those challenges demanded that the registration of candidates be reopened to compensate for the few hours during the candidate registration period in which the CEC suspended its work following attacks on its offices.
The CEC rejected those challenges due to the fact that the CEC reopened its offices the day following the attacks, the last day of candidate registration, and extended its work hours till midnight.
The rejection of the challenges was also based on article (48) of the Elections Law which stipulates that the candidate registration period should last for only 12 days and that no candidate should be allowed to register after the specified period had passed.
Those who submitted the challenges can still appeal the CECzzz*zs decision to reject them at the Electionszzz*z Cases Court.
The CEC also reviewed a challenge submitted by an independent female candidate regarding the CEC's previous decision to list political affiliation next to each candidatezzz*zs name on the ballot paper. That challenge was also rejected by the CEC.
Finally, the Commissioners discussed arrangements for early voting by security forces and reaffirmed that members of the security forces must cast their ballots at the same locations where they had registered. The Ministry of Interior is, therefore, responsible to arrange for members of the security forces to be transported from their place of work to their polling centers on 23/12/2005, the designated day for early voting.