12 February, Ramallah - In compliance with Palestinian law and the Cabinet’s decision issued on 8 February calling for elections in the local councils on 17 July, the Central Elections Commission (CEC) confirms its readiness to administer elections.
The CEC therefore calls on all political parties, factions and other electoral stakeholders to cooperate with the Commission to ensure free and fair elections in all Palestinian territories: East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The CEC maintains hope that the difficult political situation in Palestine will improve in the near future. However, the political circumstances should not prevent anyone from participating in the elections. The CEC stresses that providing a free and fair atmosphere in which all political parties, factions and the public can participate will be a milestone for the electoral process.
Accordingly, the CEC, as an independent and neutral institution, calls on all stakeholders to view the elections from this perspective, and to facilitate the work of CEC staff in all of the PNA territories to ensure the transparency and credibility of the upcoming elections.
The first phase of the elections, the two-week Voter Registry Update will begin within the next three weeks.