Importance of The Elections
Elections in the OPT are held to exercise the Palestinian right to self-determination in connection with their right to establish their own state, but are held under the burden of military occupation. They are hold in the framework of the Oslo Accords, meaning that the power of the PNA was (and is) limited to matters like culture, education, ID-cards and the distribution of the land and water left by the Israelis. Such as far as the occupying power allows.
Israel does not allow free exercise of political activities; checkpoints and separation walls already hinder all social activities. The parliament cannot properly function because free travel is impossible, especially between Gaza and the West Bank, regardless of hostilities between Fatah and Hamas. Members of the Palestinian Legislative Council and other politicians are subject to lengthy detentions by Israel or even killed, particularly those of Hamas. In October 2007, 2 ex-ministers and 45 PLC members were in Israeli detention. In July 2012, there were 4,706 political prisoners in Israeli prisons. Of these, 22 are PLC members, of which 18 are in administrative detention.
Read more about this topic: Elections In The Palestinian National Authority
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