(11 Jan 1996) English/Nat
Next week sees the historic first-ever elections for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
According to the Interim agreement signed between Israel and the PLO in Washington on September 1995, the Palestinians will cast their votes on January 20th to choose the head of a Palestinian authority and a council that will run their daily lives.
For nearly 28 years this building served as the office of the Israeli military governor in the Gaza Strip.
Now the renovated complex will become the headquarters for the Palestinian legislative Council that is to be elected.
On January 20th more than one million Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem will have their first chance ever to elect their own representatives.
The Palestinians, divided into sixteen constituencies, will vote for the head of the Palestinian authority and a legislative council that will run their day to day affairs - including economic affairs, development, education, local government, health, internal security and public order.
SOUNDBITE: (in English)
"I think it is a historical moment and I think it will be a real transformation of the political arena of the Palestinian people.
SUPER CAPTION: Mohammed Eshtayeh, Secretary General of the
Central Election Commission.
The candidates are in the thick of their campaigns.
The election campaign is heated, despite the cold and rainy weather.
Posters, banners, and smiling faces of most of the 675 candidates are hung on every wall and street corner.
Women make up nearly half the registered voters in this month's election, but their voices will scarcely be heard. Only 28 of the 678 candidates are women.
Some female contenders claim they were bumped off party slates in shady back-room deals.
There is no doubt who will be the first President of the Palestine autonomous authority.
PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat will be the man to run the Palestinian authority, but a democratic facade is being maintained, to prevent allegations of one-man rule.
SOUNDBITE: (in English)
" We have two candidates for the presidency, Mr. Mohammed Yasser
Abdel Raoof Arafat (Abu Ammar) and Samiha Yousef Mustafa , these are the two candidates and it is unfortunately only 22 women are running for the council."
SUPER CAPTION: Mohammed Eshtayeh, Secretary General of CEC
Palestinian voters will have to fill two ballot cards.
One red card for the president of the Palestinian authority and a second white card for the council.
Both the president of the authority and the council will be elected for a transitional period of 4 years.
Counting of the votes will be a slow process, as it is not computerized but manual.
More than 1,000 observers from the European Union, United States, Russia and Arab countries have been monitoring the whole election process.
The head of the International observer group criticized Israeli travel restrictions on Palestinian candidates.
SOUNDBITE: (in English)
"It might be that Israel is concerned about security, they are indeed, but they have to make the necessary exemptions to allow elections.
SUPERCAPTION: Carl Lidbom, head of the international observers' group.
One of the most important tasks awaiting the elected council will be the formulation of Palestinian positions for upcoming negotiations with Israel on the permanent settlement.
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