Written by: Dr. Abeer Abed Al-Rahman Thabet
Fourteen years of the Palestinian division had a great impact on the unity of the Palestinian political system in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Those years led to the emergence of parallel and separate political, economic and social systems in the Gaza Strip from the regionally and internationally recognized Palestinian official system in the West Bank. However, the system that arose in the Gaza Strip carried the sane contradictions and shortcomings as the Palestinian official system. All these contradictions were multiplied due to the bitter political and economic reality that the Gaza Strip witnessed over the years of division. Amongst the most important of these contradictions is the lack of decision-makers’ role in choosing between the systems. Many institutions remained alongside state institutions, which prolonged the years of division.
The holding of Palestinian elections, despite their importance and necessity, are in fact nothing more than a great leap forward. The Palestinian parties wanted them to shorten several steps that they could not overcome together throughout the years of division. These steps were supposed to precede any elections in order for the post-elections phase to be part of a well-defined roadmap. If this does not happen, then we will encounter a very blurry Palestinian political scene before and after the elections. If elections are held and a new legislative authority is elected, this would be a great gain for Palestinians, as it will constitute a reunification of the two parts of the country under one legislative authority. However, the composition of this elected Palestinian Legislative Council will have a major impact on the effectiveness of its existence. Thus, we must realize that this legislative authority will be a moral authority, and any material powers that it has are governed by the consensus of the parties who have the executive power on the ground.
Further, the percentage of those represented in Palestinian Legislative Council will play the main factor in the continuation of consensus, leading to the unification of the executive and judicial authorities in the two parts of the country. We believe that those who have the executive power seek to share the seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council, which is the safest option moving forward. It is not in the Fatah Movement’s interest for Hamas to take a bigger part of it and vice versa. Accordingly, the unified list appears to be the safest option for both parties to win the bulk of it. If this is the safest option to move forward in order to end the division, its achievement will depend on determining the influence of the candidate and the independent voter. This is what we see today through the new candidacy laws announced by the Central Elections Commission, which neutralized a large portion of those who could run. Therefore, the ceiling for any surprises that the independent voter might make must be determined. On the other hand, this situation does not guarantee a balanced ratio of the progress of planned events and does not prevent surprises, that is, if they occur, will not confuse the political scene or delay the ending of the division except for a while.
Palestinians are faced with a forced democratic landscape that is governed by their consensus, especially those who have executive power on the ground (Fatah Movement – Hamas). Therefore, we are encountering the possibility of the continuation of the same old political system with a new version and less democracy, but with more consensus, rationality and pragmatism. Change in the nature of any historical system does not usually come from within it as much as it comes from the people who impose change by their popular will. It is clear that the Palestinian elections were not imposed by the people on the Palestinian parties, but rather the opposite. It is a choice everyone compelled. Hence, a democratic state that enjoys separation of powers, oversight and accountability and guarantees freedom of expression, equality, justice and the achievement of citizenship seems like a dream that is far from the Palestinians. It seems that popular struggle for democracy is required in order to achieve this dream.
