Palestinian politician urges Abbas not to postpone elections
In Palestine, Jerusalem-based political figure Samer Sinijlawi urged Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas not to postpone the legislative elections scheduled for November 28. In an opinion column for the Jerusalem Post, he said that calls are increasingly being heard among the Palestinian leadership to delay the vote because of the complexity of the current situation.
Call to keep the election date
Sinijlawi described holding the elections as a way to restore Palestinians’ ability to elect representatives, demand accountability from them, and renew the legitimacy of institutions. He addressed Abbas on behalf of young people, women, residents of Gaza, the West Bank, Jerusalem and the diaspora who, he said, are tired of division, political stagnation and their inability to influence decisions that determine their lives.
According to the author, nearly 2 million Palestinians, or about 90% of those eligible to vote, registered to participate after the election decision was announced. He also cited polls which, he said, show that nearly 80% of Palestinians disagree with the policies of the current Palestinian Authority and want change.
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Postponement of elections in 2021
Sinijlawi recalled that the elections were postponed in 2021. In his view, the alternative scenarios promised at the time were not implemented, while halting the political process without a convincing democratic alternative could create a vacuum filled by extremism, chaos and violence.
The author believes that difficulties related to Gaza, Jerusalem, internal division and the occupation should be a reason to insist on holding elections rather than cancel them. He called for using political, legal, diplomatic and technological means to ensure the participation of Palestinians from Jerusalem in the vote.
Samer Sinijlawi is the founder and leader of the new Palestinian party Masar Jadid (“New Path”), which declares its commitment to democracy, nonviolence, accountable governance and dialogue with Israel.
