Palestine opens registration for the first election in 15 years

Agencies |Gaza

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Election heat is set to send the mercury soaring in Palestine, with the state opening its candidate registration for the first parliamentary election in 15 years. Doors are now open for the political parties and independent candidates in Palestine to register their intent, the Palestinian Central Election Commission said. Some 93% of the 2.8 million eligible voters in the West Bank and Gaza have registered for the polling.

The total population in the Palestinian territories is 5.2 million.

The May 22 election in the West Bank and Gaza is part of a broader push for reconciliation between the Fatah faction led by President Mahmoud Abbas and rival Hamas.

However, it is almost certain that the road to the presidential seat will not be smooth for Abbas, who had started facing stiff challenges.

Mohammed Dahlan, the former leader of Fatah in Gaza, had promised that “brother Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) will not be the only candidate in the upcoming elections.” Yet, unlike in the 1996 and 2006 elections, Palestinians will not be voting for individual candidates.

Votes will be for parties or lists that contain between 16 and 132 candidates.