9 January 2005, 20:00 GMT — The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights has, tonight, lodged an appeal with the Palestinian Election Appeals Court against the decision by the Central Election Commission to allow citizens to vote with their Palestinian identity cards, even if their names were not on the electoral register.

In its appeal, which will be heard on Monday the 10th of December at 1000hrs (GMT), PCHR has asked the Court to issue a clear judgment canceling the decision by the CEC to allow citizens to vote with their identity cards and to annul all the legal consequences which arise from this.  

In its submission PCHR referred to reports which were received from PCHR’s team of electoral monitors across the Gaza Strip.   These reports indicated that around 1600hrs (GMT) the CEC issued a decision which allowed all citizens to vote using their identity cards without reference to the electoral register.  PCHR believes that this decision is in breach of the electoral law and has negative consequences for the democratic process.

The Palestinian Electoral Law, no. 13 of 1995, provides for two separate lists to be used during the voting process.  One of these is the electoral register and the other is the civil registration list.  The final electoral register is a combination of these two lists.  The Electoral Law stipulates that identity cards can only be used, in conjunction with the electoral register, and does not mention them being used without reference to that register.

PCHR is an accredited domestic election centre in accordance with Palestinian law.

Related Links

BY TOPIC: Palestinian Elections

Palestinian Center for Human Rights