Mahmoud Abbas' loyalists win most seats in Palestinian municipal elections in West Bank and Gaza
Updated
Updated · Reuters · Apr 26
Mahmoud Abbas' loyalists win most seats in Palestinian municipal elections in West Bank and Gaza
8 articles · Updated · Reuters · Apr 26
Abbas' Fatah-backed lists secured six of 15 seats in Gaza's Deir al-Balah and swept West Bank races, with voter turnout at 23% in Gaza and 56% in the West Bank.
These elections marked the first vote in Gaza since 2006 and the first Palestinian polls since the Gaza war began, with Hamas boycotting the West Bank vote and not formally nominating candidates in Gaza.
Palestinian officials called the elections an important step towards national unity, while analysts noted voters' support for Fatah may reflect a desire for international backing amid ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis.
Can Fatah's victory be democratic when many councils were won without a single vote cast?
What does Gaza's limited 'pilot' vote reveal about the future of Palestinian political unity?
Do local elections matter when a US plan proposes an unelected committee to govern Gaza?
Is a new constitution centralizing power undermining the democracy these elections claim to support?
How can the PA claim democratic renewal while continuing its controversial 'Martyrs Fund'?