Palestinian alliance launches to challenge PA election reforms

A new Palestinian opposition alliance has rejected proposed election law changes, warning they would undermine democracy ahead of November's vote. Elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council have been long delayed [Getty] A newly launched Palestinian opposition alliance has warned against attempts to reshape the Palestinian political system ahead of long-delayed elections, amid proposals to amend election laws that critics say would allow some lawmakers to be appointed rather than elected. The Alliance for Change issued the warning during its official launch and first press conference in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday. The coalition brings together prominent Palestinian politicians opposed to the ruling Palestinian Authority (PA) and is focused on legislative elections scheduled for November. The alliance also insisted that the elections be held on time and without any prior political conditions. Earlier this month, The New Arab revealed that the Palestinian leadership was considering amendments to the election law that would reduce the number of members of the Palestinian Legislative Council to 132, with 68 selected by "consensus" rather than through a public vote - a proposal critics say would effectively allow appointments instead of elections. The proposed changes have become a major point of contention in the occupied West Bank. Speakers at Wednesday's launch called for simultaneous presidential and legislative elections to end decades of rule under President Mahmoud Abbas and lay the foundation for a new phase of Palestinian national unity. "Free and fair elections that include all Palestinians, both inside Palestine and throughout the diaspora, are not a favour granted by anyone. They are the most effective means of achieving change and defending the national project," alliance member Ruba Masrouji said. Ahmed Ghoneim, a former member of the Palestinian Authority's ruling Fatah movement, told The New Arab: "This is a national political alliance, and elections and participation in them are among its tools." He said the alliance also sought to confront the longstanding political division between the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank and Hamas, which governs Gaza, as well as the continued failure to achieve Palestinian national unity. Ghoneim added that while the movement could eventually evolve into an electoral list, it currently serves as a national political platform aimed at resisting efforts to redesign the Palestinian political system in a way that preserves Fatah's dominance. Related Articles