On Monday, 21st.October.2019, the Press House- Palestine held a panel discussion with the representatives of factions on the Palestinian elections, in the presence of elite writers, journalists and political analysts in the Gaza Strip.
The meeting was opened by the chairman of the Press House Bilal Jadallah and the former Minister of Justice Freih Abu Median. In addition to the participation of Dr. Fayez Abu Eita, the Deputy Secretary of Fateh Movement, Dr. Ghazi Hamad, Hamas representative, Nafez Azzam, Islamic Jihad representative, Jamil Mizher, the representative of the Popular Front, Talal Abu Zarifa, Member of the Political Bureau of the Democratic Front, and Ayed Yaghi, the representative of the National Initiative.
Differing views were expressed by the representatives of the factions and writers during their speeches regarding the call of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to hold a general election in light of the ongoing Palestinian division.
In his turn, Freih Abu Median expressed his rejection of holding the elections at all, especially as it will have the same results as the previous elections, pointing out that the Palestinian people are deceived by its factions in real mean of the word "Elections."
He said:" Neither the presented factions' paper, nor the elections will weld the Palestinian people,", especially in light of the Palestinian division left by the 2006 elections.
Freih proposed a replacement to the election’s options, through the referendum of the Palestinian people on Oslo, asking the factions: "Are you ready for this proposal or not?".
For his part, Fayez Abu Aitta, supported the holding of the Palestinian elections, calling on Hamas to declare its approval of the elections without preconditions.
Abu Aitta called for legislative and presidential elections as a first step in the case Hamas intends to agree to hold them, saying: "I doubt if Hamas has the intention to approve the elections."
He added: "We have no solution but the elections," wondering about the existence of other solutions than elections, and demanded that everyone take responsibility in accordance with a code of honor to be obliged to it through popular, regional and international guarantees.
He continued: "Hamas must be bold enough and restore integrity to the Palestinian people," considering that the elections are the real exit and the replacement to all useless dialogues and meetings as described.
For his part, Ghazi Hamad stressed that holding elections at the present time is a clone of the previous crisis, saying: "Our first issue is not elections, but our national project," stressing that the elections are not a way out in the presence of a lost national cause.
He asked: "Is the elections a solution to the problems that exist at the Palestinian scene, such as the issue of Jerusalem, settlement, and the economic situation?", Pointing out that he agrees to conduct the elections in case it will promote and advance the national project.
He also called for a comprehensive national dialogue to agree on a national vision and a mechanism to manage the conflict with the occupation, noting that the factions must present and clarify a comprehensive national vision before contesting the elections.
Nafiz Azzam also agreed with Hamad on the agreement on a clear national vision with a national consensus, pointing out that the past elections offered nothing to the Palestinian people, but more scourges.
He said: "The worst stage for the Palestinian people is the current one, because the Palestinian issue is in a great crisis," pointing to the need for consensus on the national project to restore the unity of the internal situation away from any pressure.
He stressed that the elections are not a way out of the crisis, but will lead to the devoting of the division and tragedy among the Palestinian people.
In the same context, Jamil Mezher stressed the need to hold elections only in the condition they are part of a clear road map, leading to a safe election through the national dialogue, pointing out that the elections are cornerstone of the road map.
He said: "We want elections that constitute a safe passage of the national project," stressing the existence of many key issues that have not yet been harmonized, and the need for a comprehensive national dialogue.
Jamil pointed to the need for a transitional government to create climates in the event of elections as a last stop, rejecting the call for elections under certain pressures, calling for strategic dialogue, stressing that the vision of the factions is an important way out of the current situation.
While Talal Abu Zarifa stressed that the Palestinian elections are constitutional merit, where the call of it can constitute two outcomes, the first is to remove the Palestinian situation from its dispersion and rebuild its institutions according to the mechanisms of the democratic choice, while the second is to deepen the defections and divisions.
He wondered "Will it be a comprehensive presidential, legislative elections for the Palestinian Authority and the PLO, or it will be only a legislative election?" He asked, arguing that democratic guarantees for free elections include freedom to nominating, campaigning, groupings, and testing.
Abu Zarifa added: "shall we go to the elections in the light of the political and institutional division between Hamas and Fateh, and under the media exchange?", Pointing out that the limits of the organization of elections must be transparent, free and democratic without interference and without pressure.
He also pointed to the need to go to a comprehensive dialogue at the highest levels at the invitation of the Executive Committee, and the presidency of the National Council, attended by the Secretaries-General and independent figures to draw the political consensus.
Aid Yaghi considered that the exit from the current crisis is through ending the division as a priority to achieve the Palestinian national project, saying: "The Palestinian National Initiative emphasizes that the elections should not be held before ending the division and without achieving a national consensus."
Abu Zarifa added: "In the case of incompatibility and before ending the division, the call for a national meeting must be done by the agreement to hold elections and accept its results." He continued: "Elections help to complete reconciliation if agreed."
He pointed out that in the case of incompatibility between the factions before holding the elections we shall resorted to people through the referendum, saying: "We are with elections include the National Assembly, the Legislative and the Presidency", to be issued a presidential decree and set a date for legislative elections, and then followed by presidential elections specific.
He also pointed out that holding elections without Gaza is one of the dangers facing us now, especially in the light of the talk about excluding Gaza from the elections, considering it to devote the current division.
The meeting opened the door for discussion and questions from the participants, where there were divergent views on the call of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to hold elections.
