The release of public freedoms and legally guaranteed political freedom, along with the immediate release of all politically detained individuals, and the formation of an electoral court by consensus with judges from the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem, are among the most important points agreed upon at the conclusion of the meeting of Palestinian factions held in Egypt.
The Palestinian factions meeting in Cairo issued a statement this evening after two days of national dialogue sessions that discussed several issues, primarily the elections file. In their statement, the factions agreed to hold a meeting of the Palestinian factions in Cairo next March, with the participation of the leadership of the National Council and the Electoral Commission, to agree on the principles and mechanisms for completing the formation of the new National Council. The statement emphasized commitment to the timeline set by the presidential decree regarding legislative and presidential elections, confirming their conduct in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza without exception, and pledging to respect and accept their results.
The statement included the formation of an electoral court composed of judges from the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem, which will be solely responsible for overseeing everything related to the electoral process, and the president will issue a decree to establish it and clarify its tasks. The Palestinian factions agreed that the Palestinian police (exclusively) in the West Bank and Gaza, in their official uniforms, will secure the election venues, and their presence will be in accordance with the law.
Additionally, there was a call for the release of public freedoms and the promotion of a political freedom atmosphere, alongside the immediate release of all politically detained individuals or those detained for reasons related to freedom of expression. The statement guarantees the full freedom for political campaigning, publishing, printing, and holding political and electoral meetings with funding according to what is stated in the electoral law, without harassment.
The agreement also aims to ensure the neutrality of security agencies in the West Bank and Gaza, prohibiting their interference in elections or electoral campaigning for any party, and pledging to provide equal opportunities in official media outlets without discrimination for all electoral lists. The factions agreed to recommend to the president to consider amending the following points in the electoral law: reducing registration fees and guarantees, resignation requests, non-conviction eligibility, women’s participation percentage, and lowering the candidacy age.
Furthermore, they recommended that the new legislative council address the situation of parliament members detained by the occupation and take all necessary measures to ensure the conduct of elections in Jerusalem, including nominations and voting. It is worth noting that the Palestinian national dialogue sessions commenced yesterday, Monday, in Cairo, with the participation of 14 factions that signed the Cairo agreement in 2011, as well as independent figures, under the auspices of the Egyptian General Intelligence, discussing, on the second day, the constitutional court file and electoral courts, in addition to the file of security supervision over ballot boxes.