ei: PLC candidates protest against Jerusalem arrangements

A general view over the Jerusalem skyline and the separation wall at the West Bank village of Abu Dis on the edge of Jerusalem November 1, 2005. (MAANnews/Moti Milrod)

The PLC election candidates in Jerusalem, hereinafter the candidates, reviewed the new election procedure orders of the Israeli police in Occupied East Jerusalem (OEJ) which are in clear violations of the Palestinian Election Law and Procedures. Accordingly, they issued the following statement:

The Candidates confirm that the Palestinian Election Process in terms of candidacy and voting is a sacred right for all Palestinians. The Candidates insist that the Legislative Council Elections should be held as scheduled, and should not be postponed due to disruption caused by the Israeli authorities. The Candidates commend the favorable position and statements of the International Community and Agencies in support of fair, free and transparent elections in OEJ.

The Candidates request the American and the European Union Officials to boost up their initiatives that propose additional polling stations to allow for fair elections, and support the current proposals of Palestinian and International organizations to place their premises at the disposal of the Central Elections Commission to be used as polling stations. The Candidates demand that all Palestinians in OEJ are able to exercise their election rights by presenting their identity cards, and are able to reach the polling stations without Israeli intimidations.

The Candidates seek the active support of the international community and all those who believe in people's rights to freedom and democracy to guarantee their inalienable right to campaign freely. The Candidates strongly condemn the arrest of some Jerusalem candidates by the Israeli police while campaigning, and the summon of other candidates and their supporters for interrogation at Israeli police stations. The Candidates strongly call for the annulment of all the criminal charges pressed, or will be pressed, against Jerusalem candidates on the basis of their campaigning activities. The Candidates call on all the Jerusalemites to participate in the Elections by casting their votes.

Signed by:

Hatem Abbas Mohammad Salah Eddine; Assad Hassan Odeh Ghazawneh; Yacoub Jum'ah Issa Qirresh; Hani Ahmad Ali Issawi; Abdel Latif Shehdeh Abed Khalil Gheith; Simone Ibrahim Jalil Awad; Majed Mohammad Mustapha Alloush; Ibrahim Said Abu Salem; Mohammad Imran Saleh Totah; Wael Mohammad Abdel Fattah Abdel Rahman; Ahmad Mohammd Ahmad Attoun; Iyad Mohammad Rushdi El Saleimeh; Nasser Mohammd Musa Qaws; Fadwa Saliba Qustandi Khader; Mitri George Mitri Nasrawi; Hanna Sam'an Hanna Siniora; Talal Abdel Jabbar Ismail Abu Afifeh; Bernard Zakariya Abdallah Sabella; Younis Ali Hassan Ja'far; Said Yaqin Diab Daoud; Khalil Ali Khalil Abu Zayyad; Ahmad Zeid Musa Ghneim; Hamdi Fawzi Hassan El Rajabi; Jihad Abu Zneid; Daifallah Nassar Abdel Aziz Abu Dahouk; Yacoub Nasri Amer; Mohammad Jaber abdel Rahman.

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