2012–13 Palestinian local elections

Local elections were held in the Palestinian territories on 20 October 2012, with a second part to be held on 24 November 2012.^[1][2] A total of 245 village councils, 98 municipal councils and 10 local councils would be elected.^[1]

Background

Local elections had originally been scheduled for 17 July 2010. However, the Central Election Commission was unable to operate in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, resulting in the Palestinian government announcing on 25 April that the elections would be postponed in the Strip. On 10 June 2010 the government announced that all local elections were cancelled.^[3]

As a result of the cancellation, several lawsuits were filed against the government. On 13 December the High Court ruled that cancelling the elections was illegal. The government subsequently announced that local elections would be held in 2011.^[3] They were originally scheduled for 9 July, before being postponed until 22 October due to the political split between the West Bank controlled by Fatah and the Gaza Strip controlled by Hamas.^[4][5] However, in August 2011, they were postponed indefinitely.^[6]

On 10 July 2012 the government announced that local elections would be held on 20 October.^[7]

Elections

Local elections were held in the West Bank on 20 October 2012, with a second part to be held on 24 November 2012. Fatah claimed victory after Hamas withdraw from elections.^[8][9]

voting took place in only 92 of the West Bank's 353 municipalities. More than 80 villages were unable to produce candidate lists(a symptom, Hamas claims, of Fatah intimidation). In a further 181 districts, only one candidate list was registered rendering polling unnecessary. With 54.8 per cent of those eligible to vote turned out to cast their ballot^[9]

Ms Nour Odeh, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority said "We are still hoping that elections will be held in Gaza. A person's right to vote cannot be held hostage to any political faction,".^[9]

Hamas Government in Gaza has refused to recognise the election "as a legitimate expression of the Palestinian peoples' will." The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights also questioned the legitimacy of the polls, "in light of the limiting of public freedoms and continuing widespread violations of human rights by the PA."^[9]

Results

Jerusalem Governorate

Abu Dis

Local Authority	Abu Dis	Governorate	Jerusalem
Eligible voters	5,241	Participation	52.15%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Independence and Development	Fatah[11][12]	1,288	6
Late Salah Eyad	DFLP[11][13]	786	4
Youth of Change	Alliance (PFLP, PPSF, PNI)[11][14]	524	3

Biddu

Local Authority	Biddu	Governorate	Jerusalem
Eligible voters	3,253	Participation	61.05%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Fatherland and Construction	Alliance[15]	1,001	6
Biddu First	Independent[15]	517	3
Bloc "Loyalty to the Independent Fatherland"	Independent[15]	367	2

Jenin Governorate

Ajjah

Local Authority	Ajjah	Governorate	Jenin
Eligible voters	2,876	Participation	69.74%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Independence and Development	Fatah[16]	1,210	6
Ajjah Bloc for Development	Independent[16]	503	2
Justice and Equality	DFLP[16]	206	1

Al-Yamun

Local Authority	Al-Yamun	Governorate	Jenin
Eligible voters	1,444	Participation	19.75%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Independence and Development	Fatah[17]	671	8
Loyalty to Al-Aqsa	Independent[17]	550	7

'Anin

Local Authority	'Anin	Governorate	Jenin
Eligible voters	1,900	Participation	66.26%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
United	Alliance[18]	733	7
Fatherland	PPP[18]	486	4

Araqah

Local Authority	Araqah	Governorate	Jenin
Eligible voters	1,011	Participation	66.07%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Sons of Araqah - Covenant and Loyalty List	Independent[19]	435	6
Generosity Without Limits	Independent[19]	195	3

Arraba

Local Authority	Arraba	Governorate	Jenin
Eligible voters	5,280	Participation	63.86%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Return	Alliance[20]	1,582	7
Arraba for All	Independent[20]	1,561	6

Bir al-Basha

Local Authority	Bir al-Basha	Governorate	Jenin
Eligible voters	624	Participation	77.88%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Jerusalem and Return	Independent[21]	292	6
Bir al-Basha for All	DFLP[21]	132	3

Burqin

Local Authority	Burqin	Governorate	Jenin
Eligible voters	1,787	Participation	63.64%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Independence and Development	Fatah[22]	1,011	8
Burqin for All	DFLP[22]	663	5

Fandaqumiya

Local Authority	Fandaqumiya	Governorate	Jenin
Eligible voters	1,638	Participation	72.71%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Independence and Development	Fatah[23]	575	4
Fandaqumiya First	Independent[23]	321	3
Our Country	DFLP[23]	144	1
Fatherland	PPP[23]	98	1

Jaba

Local Authority	Jaba	Governorate	Jenin
Eligible voters	4,297	Participation	41.57%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Independence and Development	Fatah[24]	1,314	10
Development and Construction	DFLP[24]	410	3

Jenin

Local Authority	Jenin	Governorate	Jenin
Eligible voters	17,318	Participation	44.12%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Worthy Jenin	Independent[25]	3,867	8
Independence and Development	Alliance[25]	2,312	5
Jenin for All	PFLP[25]	707	2
National Initiative and Independents	PNI[25]	434	0

Qabatiya

Local Authority	Qabatiya	Governorate	Jenin
Eligible voters	8,636	Participation	56.11%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Independence and Development	Fatah[26]	2,631	10
United Qabatiya	Independent[26]	1,433	5
Youth Bloc for Development and Growth	DFLP[26]	281	0

Raba

Local Authority	Raba	Governorate	Jenin
Eligible voters	1,754	Participation	78.96%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Independence and Development	Fatah[27]	695	5
Raba for All	Independent[27]	574	4

Rummanah

Local Authority	Rummanah	Governorate	Jenin
Eligible voters	1,784	Participation	61.10%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Independence and Development	Fatah[28]	789	9
Palestinian National Initiative	PNI[28]	211	2

Silat ad-Dhahr

Local Authority	Silat ad-Dhahr	Governorate	Jenin
Eligible voters	2,905	Participation	59.10%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Independence and Development	Fatah[29]	1,116	8
Fatherland	PPP[29]	424	3
Progress and Prosperity	DFLP[29]	97	0

Zababdeh

Local Authority	Zababdeh	Governorate	Jenin
Eligible voters	2,121	Participation	76.85%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Construction and Development	Independent[30]	655	4
National Zababdeh	Independent[30]	501	3
United Zababdeh	Independent[30]	421	2

Tulkarm Governorate

Attil

Local Authority	Attil	Governorate	Tulkarm
Eligible voters	5,292	Participation	62.66%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Independence and Development	Fatah[31]	1,642	6
Construction and Development	Independent[31]	913	3
Unity	Independent[31]	630	2

Bal'a

Local Authority	Bal'a	Governorate	Tulkarm
Eligible voters	3,706	Participation	73.21%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Bal'a for All	Independent[32]	1,222	5
Sons of the Land Hand in Hand	Independent[32]	1,045	4
Wafa	Independent[32]	354	2

Baqa ash-Sharqiyya

Local Authority	Baqa ash-Sharqiyya and Nazlat	Governorate	Tulkarm
Eligible voters	4,650	Participation	76.92%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Unity	[33]	1,240	4
Independence and Development	Fatah[33]	794	3
Construction and Development	Independent[33]	401	1
Sons of the Land	Independent[33]	368	1
Fatherland	PPP[33]	335	1
Country for All	Independent[33]	333	1

Beit Lid

Local Authority	Beit Lid	Governorate	Tulkarm
Eligible voters	3,475	Participation	73.41%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Independence and Development	Fatah[34]	1,632	7
Competencies of Beit Lid	Independent[34]	788	4

Deir al-Ghusun

Local Authority	Deir al-Ghusun	Governorate	Tulkarm
Eligible voters	4,987	Participation	72.65%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Independence and Development	Fatah[35]	670	3
Brotherhood	Independent[35]	518	2
Our Country	Independent[35]	501	2
Ghusun Bloc	Independent[35]	386	2
Freedom	Independent[35]	325	2
Democratic Change	DFLP[35]	318	1
Deir al-Ghusun for All	Alliance[35]	309	1
Representation of the Fatherland	Alliance[35]	187	0
Fatherland	PPP[35]	176	0

Tulkarm

Local Authority	Tulkarm	Governorate	Tulkarm
Eligible voters	27,350	Participation	56.82%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
Independence and Development	Fatah, DFLP[36][37]	7,869	8
Independents	Independent[36]	2,425	3
Fatherland	Fatherland Movement[36]	2,232	2
Our Country	Alliance (PFLP, PPP, PNI, independents)[36][37]	1,797	2
Tulkarm for All	PPSF[37]	612	0

Zeita

Local Authority	Zeita	Governorate	Tulkarm
Eligible voters	1,805	Participation	75.57%[10]
List		Votes	Seats
United Zeita List	Independent[38]	529	4
Independence and Development	Fatah[38]	415	3
The Right	Independent[38]	207	1
We are all Zeita	Independent[38]	127	1

Elections by Acclamation

Elections by Acclamation
Governorate	Local Authority	List
Jerusalem	Jib	National Unity	Alliance[39]
Jerusalem	Al-Ram	Martyr Tal'at Ramih List - Al-Ram for All	Alliance[40]
Jerusalem	As-Sawahira ash-Sharqiya	Martyr Yasser Arafat Bloc	Alliance[41]
Jerusalem	Ash-Sheikh Sa'd	Independence and Development	Fatah[42]
Jerusalem	Al-Eizariya	Independence and Development	Fatah[43]
Jerusalem	Al-Qubeiba	Independence and Development	Alliance[44]
Jerusalem	Nabi Samwil	Independence and Development	Fatah[45]
Jerusalem	Beit Ijza	Independence and Development	Fatah[46]
Jerusalem	Beit Iksa	Independence and Development	Fatah[47]
Jerusalem	Beit Hanina al-Balad	Sons of the Land	Independent[48]
Jerusalem	Beit Duqqu	Independence and Development	Fatah[49]
Jerusalem	Beit Surik	Independence and Development	Fatah[50]
Jerusalem	Beit 'Anan	National Unity and Development	Alliance[51]
Jerusalem	Bir Nabala	Independence and Development	Fatah[52]
Jerusalem	Jaba'	Independence and Development	Alliance[53]
Jerusalem	Hizma	Independence and Development	Fatah[54]
Jerusalem	Qatanna	Independence and Development	Fatah[55]
Jerusalem	Kalandia	Independence and Development	Fatah[56]
Jerusalem	Kafr 'Aqab	Independence and Development	Fatah[57]
Jerusalem	Mikhmas	Independence and Development	Fatah[58]
Jenin	Umm ar-Rihan	Independence and Development	Fatah[59]
Jenin	Umm at-Tut	Independence and Development	Fatah[60]
Jenin	Ash-Shuhada	Independence and Development	Fatah[61]
Jenin	At-Tayba	Sons of At-Tayba	Alliance[19]
Jenin	Al-Attara	Independence and Development	Fatah[62]
Jenin	Al-Mughayyir	Independence and Development	Fatah[63]
Jenin	Barta'a ash-Sharqiyyah	Independence and Development	Fatah[64]
Jenin	Ti'inik	Independence and Development	Fatah[65]
Jenin	Telfit	Telfit of Tomorrow	Independent[66]
Jenin	Khirbet Abdallah al-Yunis	Independence and Development	Fatah[67]
Jenin	Zabda Al-Jadida	Independence and Development	Alliance[68]
Jenin	Sanur	Independence and Development	Alliance[69]
Jenin	Silat al-Harithiya	Independence and Development	Fatah[70]
Jenin	Fahma al-Jadida	Independence and Development	Fatah[71]
Jenin	Tura	Independence and Development
Jenin	Riyadh	Independence and Development	Fatah[72]
Jenin	Rayyan	Independence and Development	Fatah[73]
Jenin	Kafr Dan	Independence and Development	Fatah[74]
Jenin	Kafr Rai	Independence and Development	Alliance[75]
Jenin	Kufeirit	United Kufeirit Bloc	Alliance[76]
Jenin	Misilyah	Independence and Development	Fatah[29]
Jenin	Ya'bad	Independence and Development	Fatah[77]
Tulkarm	Al-Jarushiya	Independence and Development	Fatah[78]
Tulkarm	Saffarin	Independence and Development	Fatah[79]
Tulkarm	Seida	Independence and Development	Fatah[80]
Tulkarm	Shufta	Independence and Development	Fatah[81]
Tulkarm	'Illar	Independence and Development	Fatah[82]
Tulkarm	Anabta	Independence, Development and Construction	Alliance[83]
Tulkarm	Far'un	Independence and Development	Fatah[84]
Tulkarm	Qaffin	Independence and Development	Fatah[85]
Tulkarm	Kafr al-Labad	Kafr al-Labad for All	Independent[86]