By Khalid Amayreh
".....In recent days and weeks, the PA has allowed student elections to take place on several campuses in the West Bank . However, the elections had no semblance of real elections whatsoever. In many cases, prior to the elections hundreds of Islamic-oriented students were rounded up and warned against participation in the elections. The message was too clear: If you participate in the elections, you will be arrested twice: First by the PA and then by the Israelis. Given the police state atmosphere, most of the student population either boycotted the polls or cast blank ballots in protest against the conspicuous absence of freedom and fairness.
The same pattern of behavior, the anti-Hamas inquisition, has prevailed and continues to prevail in every other institution in the West Bank whereby people are harassed and persecuted for their political views and suspected affiliation. Hence, one would really wonder how free and fair elections can be carried out under such circumstances.
Well, the answer is clear: No true elections worthy of the name can be conducted under existing conditions in the West Bank where the Fatah-run government views an important part of citizenry as enemies. How else can one relate to the mass dismissal of people from their jobs, with many forced to seek work at Jewish settlements in order to provide food for their families?
More to the point, true elections require a healthy environment that is free from intimidation and interference by the security agencies, a requirement that is conspicuously absent especially in the Wes Bank.
Indeed, allowing elections, whether local or general, to take place under the current police-state atmosphere would be a serious insult to the Palestinian people’s intelligence.
This is why, Hamas and other Palestinian factions which value true democracy are urged to reject Fatah’s exploits and explicit efforts to falsify the Palestinian people’s will by concocting elections that have little or no credibility, elections that would give the impression that a majority of the Palestinian people are surrendering to Israel and readying themselves to sell out al-Quds al Sharif (the Noble Jerusalem) and the refugees’ right of return in exchange for a comical, hamburger statelet on parts of the West Bank......
Undoubtedly, Hamas might see itself coming under growing pressure from certain Arab regimes to agree to hold elections under the present circumstances. Well, Hamas must resist such pressures, especially coming from these repressive regimes which are utterly unqualified to lecture us on elections and democracy.
In the final analysis, the vast majority of our people shall not and will not commit adultery with our enduring and sacred cause by succumbing to the American-Israeli conspiracies, even if these conspiracies assume a Palestinian face."
".....In recent days and weeks, the PA has allowed student elections to take place on several campuses in the West Bank . However, the elections had no semblance of real elections whatsoever. In many cases, prior to the elections hundreds of Islamic-oriented students were rounded up and warned against participation in the elections. The message was too clear: If you participate in the elections, you will be arrested twice: First by the PA and then by the Israelis. Given the police state atmosphere, most of the student population either boycotted the polls or cast blank ballots in protest against the conspicuous absence of freedom and fairness.
The same pattern of behavior, the anti-Hamas inquisition, has prevailed and continues to prevail in every other institution in the West Bank whereby people are harassed and persecuted for their political views and suspected affiliation. Hence, one would really wonder how free and fair elections can be carried out under such circumstances.
Well, the answer is clear: No true elections worthy of the name can be conducted under existing conditions in the West Bank where the Fatah-run government views an important part of citizenry as enemies. How else can one relate to the mass dismissal of people from their jobs, with many forced to seek work at Jewish settlements in order to provide food for their families?
More to the point, true elections require a healthy environment that is free from intimidation and interference by the security agencies, a requirement that is conspicuously absent especially in the Wes Bank.
Indeed, allowing elections, whether local or general, to take place under the current police-state atmosphere would be a serious insult to the Palestinian people’s intelligence.
This is why, Hamas and other Palestinian factions which value true democracy are urged to reject Fatah’s exploits and explicit efforts to falsify the Palestinian people’s will by concocting elections that have little or no credibility, elections that would give the impression that a majority of the Palestinian people are surrendering to Israel and readying themselves to sell out al-Quds al Sharif (the Noble Jerusalem) and the refugees’ right of return in exchange for a comical, hamburger statelet on parts of the West Bank......
Undoubtedly, Hamas might see itself coming under growing pressure from certain Arab regimes to agree to hold elections under the present circumstances. Well, Hamas must resist such pressures, especially coming from these repressive regimes which are utterly unqualified to lecture us on elections and democracy.
In the final analysis, the vast majority of our people shall not and will not commit adultery with our enduring and sacred cause by succumbing to the American-Israeli conspiracies, even if these conspiracies assume a Palestinian face."
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