Middle East Monitor / April 10, 2021
The Central Elections Commission is examining tens of appeals against candidates for the parliamentary elections, including the head of the list registered by dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan.
According to sources from the Central Elections Commission, some appeals relate to administration issues such as submitting the lists to the commission without providing resignation letters from government or NGO jobs for the candidates.
Many of the appeals were made by Fatah, whose Spokesperson Munir al-Jaghoub reiterated that this is part of the democratic procedures accompanying the election.
However, although Fatah and Hamas agreed in the latest meeting held in Cairo that they will not appeal against each other’s candidates, Fatah has appealed against Hamas candidates.
Activists and members from independent lists have appealed against Sameer al-Mashharawi, the head of Dahlan’s list, over his involvement in causing chaos in Gaza following the 2006 Hamas victory in the parliamentary elections.
Other activists appealed against the list itself as it represents Dahlan, claiming that Dahlan, who is alleged to have been involved in the death of late Fatah and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat, should not enter into Palestinian parliament.
