United Nations special rapporteurs Monday called for the rescheduling of Palestinian elections within a reasonable time to ensure “free, fair, democratic, peaceful, and credible” polls, Anadolu News Agency reported.
The Palestinian parliamentary elections had been scheduled for May and the presidential polls for July.
They were, however, postponed indefinitely on April 29 by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas due to concerns about Palestinians’ ability to vote in East Jerusalem.
Independent @UN #HumanRights experts call for postponed Palestinian elections to be rescheduled ‘within a reasonably short timeframe’ and East Jerusalem must be included.
— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) July 26, 2021
“We are deeply concerned by the postponement of the scheduled elections in Palestine,” said the experts.
The UN special rapporteurs included Michael Lynk, special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territory; Irene Khan, special rapporteur on the right to freedom of expression; and Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, special rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly.
“The Palestinian elections present a monumental opportunity to renew the democratic process, to address the long-standing internal political divisions, to strengthen accountable institutions, and to take an important step towards achieving the fundamental national and individual rights of the Palestinian people,” the experts asserted.
#Palestinian election: @UN_SPExperts called upon the Palestinian Authority and Israel to take all steps necessary to ensure that these elections are free, fair, democratic, peaceful and credible.https://t.co/bAO4wWL3sH pic.twitter.com/6jEfXVSfVk
— UN Geneva (@UNGeneva) July 26, 2021
“We call upon Israel to clearly state that it will allow the full democratic participation of Palestinians in East Jerusalem in the planned elections. As the occupying power in East Jerusalem, it must interfere as little as possible with the rights and daily lives of the Palestinians.”
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
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