Al-Qawasmi: Postponing the elections violates the law, undermines legitimacy, and threatens international support for the Palestinian cause

Ramallah - Ofoq News - Lawyer Dr. Bassam Al-Qawasmi, founder of the “All Palestinian Gathering,” said that the decision to postpone the elections will have serious political, legal, economic, and public repercussions, stressing that it constitutes a clear violation of the Palestinian Basic Law, the Declaration of Independence, and the treaties to which the State of Palestine has acceded.

Al-Qawasmi explained, during a press conference held in the city of Ramallah, that the decision represents a violation of the legal frameworks regulating human rights and political freedoms, warning that it will lead to the erosion of Palestinian legitimacy before the world, and the existing authorities will lose their legal status derived from the people’s mandate.

He added that this will reflect negatively on the confidence of citizens and the international community and the credibility of Palestinian institutions, and will threaten the continued financial, political and public support for the Palestinian cause, including the commitment of donor countries.

He pointed out that the absence of an elected legislative council means disrupting oversight of the government’s performance, granting it confidence, and approving the general budget, considering that, in light of this absence, the people’s money remains inside a “black box” that citizens cannot see, which can only be corrected through an elected legislative authority.

Al-Qawasmi pointed to the generational dimension of the crisis, explaining that those who were 17 years old at the time of the 2005 elections are now 38 years old without participating in any presidential, legislative, or National Council elections, which destroys what remains of hope among young people.

He warned that the absence of an elected authority and national unity might give the occupation a green light to continue its policies of Judaization, displacement and extermination, in the absence of a unified Palestinian reference.

Al-Qawasmi criticized the position of the factions that support the postponement, questioning the consistency of this with their national role in liberating the nation and respecting the law and the rights of citizens to vote and run. He called on President Mahmoud Abbas, the Ministry of Finance, and the Liberation Organization to stop the allocations to these factions from taxpayers’ money, and direct them to buy medicines for patients and pay employees’ salaries.

In a letter to President Abbas, he asked: “How do we demand that the world condemn the occupation’s violations of international law while we confiscate the will of 14 million Palestinians and deprive them of choosing their legitimate authorities?”

Al-Qawasmi concluded by calling on the president to cancel the postponement decree and hold legislative elections on time, followed by presidential elections and elections for the National Council, stressing that the presence of elected institutions is the guarantee for preserving the international and popular mobilization and achieving the national goal of establishing the Palestinian state and defeating the occupation.