Over 20,000 signatures from 53 countries: Palestinian campaign rejects appointment of National Council
The "My Voice, My Decision – No to Appointment" campaign has surpassed 20,000 signatures from Palestinians in 53 countries, demanding direct elections for the Palestinian National Council and guaranteed participation for Palestinians everywhere.
Istanbul - FiMED
The number of signatories to the petition of the "My Voice, My Decision – No to Appointment" campaign has exceeded the 20,000 mark, with the participation of Palestinians at home and in the diaspora, as part of demands for direct, free and fair elections to choose members of the Palestinian National Council and a rejection of adopting appointment as an alternative to the popular will.
The independent campaign said in a statement that the petition recorded 6,500 new signatures over the past week, while the number of countries from which signatures came rose to 53, reflecting the breadth of geographical participation in the campaign, particularly among Palestinian communities in countries of refuge and the diaspora.
According to the campaign's data, the signatures came from Palestinians in Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Germany, Qatar, Britain, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, along with dozens of other countries, in an indication of the reach of calls to take part in choosing the representatives of the Palestinian people across borders.
The campaign stressed that surpassing 20,000 signatures represents a new milestone in its path, not the end of the road, emphasizing the need to enable Palestinians wherever they are to exercise their right to choose their representatives in the Palestinian National Council, which is the representative institution of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Dispute over mechanisms for forming the National Council
The campaign comes amid Palestinian debate over the mechanisms for forming the next National Council, and the options on the table between direct elections and arrangements based on appointment or electoral colleges, and the questions these options raise about the extent of popular participation in choosing the members of the representative institution.
The "My Voice, My Decision" campaign demands direct and comprehensive elections that allow Palestinians at home and in the diaspora to freely choose their representatives, and rejects what it considers a monopolization of representation in arrangements that are not based on a direct popular mandate.
It also calls for announcing the procedures and criteria adopted for forming the National Council, and for guaranteeing transparency, equal opportunity and accountability at all stages of the process, including arrangements related to electoral colleges, stressing that these mechanisms must not turn into a permanent substitute for direct elections.
The campaign called on Palestinians at home and in the diaspora to sign the petition and share it, announcing that it will continue its media and community activities and its outreach to Palestinian communities, institutions and figures with the aim of expanding participation in the initiative.
The growing number of signatures again sheds light on the issue of Palestinian national representation, and the challenges associated with involving Palestinians in the diaspora in the process of choosing members of the National Council, at a time when discussions continue over the future of national institutions and the mechanisms for renewing their representative legitimacy.
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