Project Summary:

• Duration: (07/05 – 11/05)

• Funding Source: Friedrich Naumann Foundation

   Goals and mechanisms:

The contract for the project “Voter education on Local and National Elections in the West Bank” was signed on 1/7/2005. Its implementation began in August 2005 before successfully concluding on 30/11/2005. The project aimed to increase Palestinian citizens’ awareness on the subject of elections—both local and national—with a focus on the amended elections law.

   Project Objectives:

Increase the participation rate of youth in the local and national elections and elections details deliberation.

Build the youth knowledge on how to participate in the monitoring process of local council conduct and on how to engage local councils for increased program budgets benefiting women and children.

Build the capacity of youth for participating in campaigns that support their chosen candidates.

Encourage youth candidacy in the local and legislative elections to thereby increase youth membership on local and legislative councils.

   Target Group:

This project focuses on the subset of Palestinian society most in need of elections promotion and education: Palestinian male and female youth ages 18 to 35. This project seeks to identify and focus attention on local youth leaders, community youth activists, political youth leaders, as well as women leading civil society organization, NGO and CBO employees and volunteers working in democratic development. These youth leaders are best positioned to benefit and implement the training they will receive through our program activities.

   Project Activities:

The Preparation Stage lasted one month and included all activities required for practical implementation of the project. These included hiring and contracting trainers and staff and preparing information materials in the form of an educational booklet to be distributed to all potential participants. Then, fieldwork and coordination with grassroots organizations too place to define target areas and recruit project participants.

Voter Education Workshops – 4 hour duration: Citizen education and training on local and general elections, election laws and measures to encounter the laws, and how to participate in the decision making process.

Town Hall Meetings 2-3 hours duration: Citizens and decision makers will debate and discuss elections and other democracy and good governance related issues that are of the utmost concern to Palestinian citizens. In addition, these meetings were an excellent opportunity for citizens to witness the reality of the political and democratic process; thus, CFI considers these highly valuable training sessions.

Documentary Film: CFI hired a professional film producing company to produce a societal democratization film includes a variety of activities conducted during the course of the project. The film includes crucial and significant democratic issues in the Palestinian society.

Closing and evaluation stages included preparing a final evaluation by participants in terms of how much they benefited from project activities.

The political environment prevailing during the project implementation:

Working on this project coincided with important political development affecting the life of the Palestinian people. This included the Israeli redeployment from the Gaza Strip and demolition of Israeli settlements, along with preparations for the National Legislative Elections, held on January 25th 2006. Also concurrent with this project were the third and fourth stages of local elections, held on 29/9/2005 and 15/12/2005 respectively.

   Amending the General Elections Law:

The PLC ratified amendments proposed by the PNA President, which included adopting the mixed system (proportional and majority), after the President failed to convince the council to adopt the full proportional system. A quota for women’s representation on the proportional system was also ratified, in addition to reducing—from 30 to 28--the age of candidacy to the PLC. Finally, the number of seats in the PLC was increased to 132 in the same piece of legislation.

   Amending the Local Elections Law:

Concerning the Local Elections Law, the PLC amended the law and adopted the full proportional system instead of the majority system. This was done very close to the third round of local elections; just ten days later the PLC adopted another amendment, on 28/8/2005, to the article 17 which concerned the quota for women. This matter created a major problem, as the necessary changes needed to occur within two days, prior to the closing of nominations. Consequently, this did not allow enough time for women to adapt to the amendments in the law.

   Jerusalem:

The problem of holding elections in occupied Jerusalem continued with no foreseeable solution. Israeli forces closed the CEC voter registration offices and arrested the staff working there. Citizens were expected to hold elections at the Israeli post offices, though they demanded changing that to avoid Israeli interference during the voting process.

   Main activities:

   Preparation stage:

After a month of preparation and hard work, a handbook was produced, entitled, “Your Manual for Elections”. The handbook served the Palestinian voters in terms of providing necessary information on elections and the requirements for democracy. The publication also tackled several issues under one title, including legislative elections, the role of the civil committee, electoral crimes, and etc. Of course, the publication also addressed the electoral law and amendments to the law.

   Workshops stage:

44 workshops were held during the five-month project period, starting on 1/7/2005 and concluding on 30/11/2005. According to the proposed project guidelines, 42 workshops would be held. However, actual activities are detailed as follows:

44 workshops were held.

The additional workshops were a response to the demand for holding similar activities.

 

Schedule of activities held:

Workshops discussed the following subjects:
Election law, Local elections law, Electoral constituencies, lists, and women’s quota, CEC and its role, Elections court, Importance of monitoring elections, Candidate evaluation card,
Youth awareness on elections and their role and participation, and Jerusalem and the difficulties encountered by Palestinian citizens due to the Israeli occupation.

 Recommendations from the workshops:

Continue awareness activities to increase voter registration, especially among the youth, Reduce nomination age to 25 years, from 28, Ratify the political parties’ law, Don’t postpone the upcoming legislative elections, Ensure better representation for women and youth in the local and legislative elections,

Provide more education on the new laws and amendments.

Political parties should formulate their candidate lists independent of family affiliations,

Political parties and civil society organizations should hold more awareness workshops on the subject of elections and election mechanisms,

Allow for open membership to the civil monitoring committee for elections,

Political parties should hold primary elections,

Adopt the proportional system to replace the mixed system for legislative elections,

Adopt a consistent and uniform election law,

Ensure neutrality of the media and end bias benefiting certain candidates,

Ensure regularity of elections,

Reactivate the role of Central Elections Commission,

Find practical solution to voting for illiterate voters,

Adopt a maximum amount of expenditures for campaigns,

Women’s organizations should unite their efforts in pressing for their secured representation,

Reactivate the rule of law and judiciary in enforcing law and order.

Issue enough ID cards for civil observers to monitor elections, and Demand Israel stop harassing and arresting candidates.

    Holding town hall meetings:

 14 town hall meetings were held, scheduled as follows:

 Table for the Town Hall Meetings