The session began with a rundown of the most significant proposed legal amendments to the elections law, which CSOs have been discussing since 2013, in a bid to improve the efficiency of the electoral system. This entails guaranteeing the right of political participation for women and youth and reviving democratic principles to increase participation of the various social sectors. Most importantly, these include: amendment of the electoral system (proportional election system), lowering of candidacy age, threshold and women’s quota percentages, ban on first and second-degree relatives on the same list, direct election of local council president and setting a limit of two terms only for local council heads. Furthermore, the participants said CSOs must form a civil front that includes national and factional figures who can demand general elections. This front would be based on an agreed vision among institutions, the foundation of which would be a social contract (Basic Law and its stipulated principles). They maintained that this would lay the groundwork for partnership between the various civil components to demand elections and find a way out of the Palestinians’ political crisis, due to the failure to hold elections, the erosion of the system’s legitimacy, the rise in corruption within this system and the continued political division.
Meanwhile, the topic of laws by decree and the positions of CSOs was discussed. Some organizations said they believed the thwarted election process had created a legislative vacuum, which has obstructed and impacted citizens’ everyday lives. Institutions, however, were forced to deal with these laws by decree, given the need for updated laws that address pressing issues.
However, other CSOs believed the executive authority took advantage of the absence of the PLC to boost its dominance. They said these laws by decree serve the interests of the political system without any serious action to revive the legislative council through holding elections and ensuring the political right of citizens to choose their representatives. The participants capped off the session with a number of conclusions, including: agreement to form a broad-based national coalition to demand elections, through developing a civic vision based on the fundamental principles of the Basic Law; agreement on the proposed legal amendments and on broadening the circle of public and social debate until these amendments are adopted; promoting the legitimacy of this demand and the need to include the CEC vision for Local Council Elections, which is based on its actual experience during the 2021 local elections.
Hassan Mahareeq, officer in MIFTAH’s policy and dialogue unit, said the session was part of MIFTAH’s efforts to promote active political participation for all components of Palestinian society, particularly youth and women, by reviving mechanisms for democratic dialogue to ensure a legal and encompassing environment for this participation, which safeguards citizens’ rights, public freedoms and values of equality.
مفتاح تعقد جلسة لمناقشة التعديلات المقترحة على قوانين الانتخابات المحلية والعامة
تاريخ النشر: 27/07/2022
بقلم:
عقدت المبادرة الفلسطينية لتعميق الحوار العالمي والديمقراطية "مفتاح" جلسة خاصة ناقشت خلالها أولويات وتدخلات مؤسسات المجتمع المدني تجاه التعديلات القانونية المقترحة على قانون انتخاب مجالس الهيئات المحلية رقم (10) لسنة 2005 وقانون الانتخابات العامة رقم (1) للعام 2007، والخطوات اللازم اتخاذها لتحقيق أهدافها.
وافتتحت الجلسة باستعراض لأهم التعديلات القانونية المقترحة على قانون الانتخابات، والتي تمت مناقشتها منذ العام 2013 من مختلف مؤسسات المجتمع المدني، بهدف تحسين كفاءة النظام الانتخابي وتحسين مخرجاته، بما يضمن تعزيز حق المشاركة السياسية للنساء والشباب وتفعيل المبادئ الديمقراطية لتوسيع مشاركة الفئات المجتمعية المختلفة، وأبرزها: تعديل النظام الانتخابي (النظام الانتخابي النسبي)، وتخفيض سن الترشح، ونسبتي الحسم والكوتا النسوية، وحظر وجود أقارب درجة أولى أو ثانية داخل القوائم، وانتخاب رئيس الهيئة المحلية بشكل مباشر، إضافة إلى تحديد فترة رئيس الهيئة المحلية لولايتين فقط.
في حين، ناقش المشاركون ضرورة أن تبدأ مؤسسات المجتمع المدني، بتشكيل جبهة مدنية تضم شخصيات وطنية، وحزبية، للمطالبة بإجراء انتخابات عامة، استناداً على رؤية تتفق عليها المؤسسات، يكون أساسها العقد الاجتماعي (القانون الأساسي والمبادئ التي نص عليها)، كأرضية لشراكة مختلف المكونات المدنية، للمطالبة بالانتخابات، والخروج من الأزمة السياسية، التي يعيشها الشعب الفلسطيني، بسبب توقف إجراء الانتخابات وتآكل شرعية النظام والمؤسسات وترهلها، وازدياد حالات الفساد في النظام السياسي القائم واستمرار الانقسام السياسي.
كما تم مناقشة مسألة القرارات بقانون، والمواقف المختلفة لمؤسسات المجتمع المدني تجاه القرارات بقانون، إذ أن بعض المؤسسات تعتبر تعطل العملية الانتخابية خلق فراغاً تشريعياً من شأنه أن يعطل ويؤثر على حياة المواطنين اليومية، لذا اضطرت المؤسسات إلى التعاطي مع القرارات بقانون استناداً لحاجة المواطن لتحديث القوانين أو استصدار قوانين تعالج قضايا طارئة نظراً لضرورتها. بينما رأت مؤسسات أخرى في ذلك استغلال السلطة التنفيذية غياب المجلس التشريعي، لزيادة هيمنتها من خلال إصدار القرارات بقانون بما يخدم مصالح النظام السياسي، دون العمل الجاد لإعادة تفعيل السلطة التشريعية من خلال عقد الانتخابات وتفعيل حق مشاركة المواطن السياسية في اختيار ممثليه.
وخلص المشاركون في الجلسة إلى مجموعة من النتائج من أبرزها الاتفاق على تشكيل ائتلاف وطني عريض للمطالبة بإجراء الانتخابات من خلال بلورة رؤية مدنية تستند للمبادئ الأساسية في القانون الأساسي، والاتفاق على التعديلات القانونية المقترحة وتوسيع دوائر النقاش السياسي والمجتمعي لهذه التعديلات لغاية تبنيها، وتعزيز شرعية المطالبة بها، وضرورة تضمين رؤية لجنة الانتخابات المركزية لقانون الانتخابات المحلية، والتي استندت إلى تجربتهم العملية خلال الانتخابات المحلية التي أجريت في 2021.
بدوره، قال حسن محاريق، مسؤول في وحدة الحوار والسياسات في "مفتاح"، أن هذه الجلسة تأتي ضمن سعي المؤسسة إلى تعزيز المشاركة السياسية الفاعلة لجميع مكونات المجتمع الفلسطيني وخاصة الشباب والنساء، من خلال تفعيل آليات الحوار الديمقراطي لضمان ترسيخ بيئة قانونية حاضنة للمشاركة الفاعلة، وحامية لحقوق المواطنة والحريات العامة وقيم المساواة.
عقدت المبادرة الفلسطينية لتعميق الحوار العالمي والديمقراطية "مفتاح" جلسة خاصة ناقشت خلالها أولويات وتدخلات مؤسسات المجتمع المدني تجاه التعديلات القانونية المقترحة على قانون انتخاب مجالس الهيئات المحلية رقم (10) لسنة 2005 وقانون الانتخابات العامة رقم (1) للعام 2007، والخطوات اللازم اتخاذها لتحقيق أهدافها.
وافتتحت الجلسة باستعراض لأهم التعديلات القانونية المقترحة على قانون الانتخابات، والتي تمت مناقشتها منذ العام 2013 من مختلف مؤسسات المجتمع المدني، بهدف تحسين كفاءة النظام الانتخابي وتحسين مخرجاته، بما يضمن تعزيز حق المشاركة السياسية للنساء والشباب وتفعيل المبادئ الديمقراطية لتوسيع مشاركة الفئات المجتمعية المختلفة، وأبرزها: تعديل النظام الانتخابي (النظام الانتخابي النسبي)، وتخفيض سن الترشح، ونسبتي الحسم والكوتا النسوية، وحظر وجود أقارب درجة أولى أو ثانية داخل القوائم، وانتخاب رئيس الهيئة المحلية بشكل مباشر، إضافة إلى تحديد فترة رئيس الهيئة المحلية لولايتين فقط.
في حين، ناقش المشاركون ضرورة أن تبدأ مؤسسات المجتمع المدني، بتشكيل جبهة مدنية تضم شخصيات وطنية، وحزبية، للمطالبة بإجراء انتخابات عامة، استناداً على رؤية تتفق عليها المؤسسات، يكون أساسها العقد الاجتماعي (القانون الأساسي والمبادئ التي نص عليها)، كأرضية لشراكة مختلف المكونات المدنية، للمطالبة بالانتخابات، والخروج من الأزمة السياسية، التي يعيشها الشعب الفلسطيني، بسبب توقف إجراء الانتخابات وتآكل شرعية النظام والمؤسسات وترهلها، وازدياد حالات الفساد في النظام السياسي القائم واستمرار الانقسام السياسي.
كما تم مناقشة مسألة القرارات بقانون، والمواقف المختلفة لمؤسسات المجتمع المدني تجاه القرارات بقانون، إذ أن بعض المؤسسات تعتبر تعطل العملية الانتخابية خلق فراغاً تشريعياً من شأنه أن يعطل ويؤثر على حياة المواطنين اليومية، لذا اضطرت المؤسسات إلى التعاطي مع القرارات بقانون استناداً لحاجة المواطن لتحديث القوانين أو استصدار قوانين تعالج قضايا طارئة نظراً لضرورتها. بينما رأت مؤسسات أخرى في ذلك استغلال السلطة التنفيذية غياب المجلس التشريعي، لزيادة هيمنتها من خلال إصدار القرارات بقانون بما يخدم مصالح النظام السياسي، دون العمل الجاد لإعادة تفعيل السلطة التشريعية من خلال عقد الانتخابات وتفعيل حق مشاركة المواطن السياسية في اختيار ممثليه.
وخلص المشاركون في الجلسة إلى مجموعة من النتائج من أبرزها الاتفاق على تشكيل ائتلاف وطني عريض للمطالبة بإجراء الانتخابات من خلال بلورة رؤية مدنية تستند للمبادئ الأساسية في القانون الأساسي، والاتفاق على التعديلات القانونية المقترحة وتوسيع دوائر النقاش السياسي والمجتمعي لهذه التعديلات لغاية تبنيها، وتعزيز شرعية المطالبة بها، وضرورة تضمين رؤية لجنة الانتخابات المركزية لقانون الانتخابات المحلية، والتي استندت إلى تجربتهم العملية خلال الانتخابات المحلية التي أجريت في 2021.
بدوره، قال حسن محاريق، مسؤول في وحدة الحوار والسياسات في "مفتاح"، أن هذه الجلسة تأتي ضمن سعي المؤسسة إلى تعزيز المشاركة السياسية الفاعلة لجميع مكونات المجتمع الفلسطيني وخاصة الشباب والنساء، من خلال تفعيل آليات الحوار الديمقراطي لضمان ترسيخ بيئة قانونية حاضنة للمشاركة الفاعلة، وحامية لحقوق المواطنة والحريات العامة وقيم المساواة.
MIFTAH conducts exchange visit between members of local councils and women activists in the Jericho/Jordan Valley district and Hebron and town hall meetings in the Gaza Strip
Date posted: July 16, 2022
By MIFTAH
Ramallah – 2/7/2022 – As part of its Good Governance and Democracy Program, MIFTAH recently conducted an exchange visit between the Hebron and Jericho/Jordan Valley districts, in a bid to exchange expertise and focus on the success stories of female local council members and community activists. The visit was also an opportunity to hear about the challenges women in decision-making positions face and the extent of their political participation.
MIFTAH field consultant in Hebron, Maysoun Qawasmi, said this was the first exchange visit for activists from Jericho and the Jordan Valley to Hebron. The women were received by several organizations with whom they discussed the importance of women’s participation and involvement in activities within civil society institutions and the need for these institutions to respond to women’s community needs and priorities. Qawasmi said the meeting allowed the women the opportunity to discuss the challenges they face within an economic-political context and the mechanisms needed to address them.
“Israeli occupation policies and the reality they create on the ground, limit women’s political participation, especially in areas targeted by Israeli army and settler attacks,” Qawasmi maintained. This intersects with cultural norms, traditions and stereotypes about women’s participation and with the weakness of political parties. Over and above, unemployment rates have accelerated and economic conditions have deteriorated in Palestine, all of which pose challenges to the integration of women and youth in political and community action.”
The second visit was to the town of Tafouh where the women were received by local council members in the Hebron district, in addition to members of the Tafouh council and other organizations. The women spoke about the challenges the councilwomen face, mostly the lack of knowledge on municipality laws and the nature of municipal work. The women spoke about their marginalization in a male-oriented society and how they are not afforded their rightful roles in the council. The women also highlighted some of their councilwomen’s success stories.
MIFTAH’s field consultant in the Jericho/Jordan Valley district, Najat Ermeileh, stressed on the importance of the visit, which included women activists and council members from Jiftlik, Fasayel, Oja and Nuweima, in addition to Diyuk, Ein Sultan and Jericho. She said there needed to be more exchange visits between activists from various districts so the women could share experiences and learn about the other’s challenges and successes in local councils. This is over and above the challenges imposed by the legal system, pertaining to the electoral system and the Local Council Law, which MIFTAH, along with other CSOs, are working to amend.
Town hall meetings
MIFTAH also continued to organize several town hall meetings in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in cooperation with CSOs and grassroots organizations, in addition to local council members. The meetings were aimed at raising citizens’ awareness on issues such as political participation and the process of formulating public policies to foster a culture of democratic and civil values and integrating youth and women at the decision-making level.
MIFTAH’s head of office in the Gaza Strip, Shadia Al Ghoul, said the town hall meetings MIFTAH has conducted since 2003 address the following: introducing participants to the components of a state; presenting the experience of legislative and local elections; and offering a comprehensive explanation of the local and legislative elections law, the women’s quota and the concept of citizenship and its relation to political participation.
She added that the recent town hall meetings produced several recommendations, including: reaffirming the importance of raising awareness among youth and women to their role in decision making; the need for pressure on decision-makers to hold elections; to promote a culture of democratic and civic values and to integrate youth and women at the decision-making level; the importance of political participation of women as a human right, guaranteed by international agreements and conventions; the impact of political participation on national legislations, namely the declaration of independence charter and the Palestinian Basic Law and on the peaceful transition of power.
The recommendations also called for the continuation of regular town hall meetings and their expansion so that new sectors of women could be targeted and the concepts of democracy, citizenship and political participation could be further entrenched, spread and discussed. They also called for capacity-building training courses for women to create strong competitors to men in the political sphere, especially within political parties. Finally, the recommendations called for supporting young leaders and promoting their presence in political parties.
MIFTAH completes Phase Seven of its project 'Development of local communities through small income-generating projects'
Date posted: June 30, 2022
By MIFTAH
Ramallah – 23/6/2022 – MIFTAH recently capped off Phase Seven of its project, “Development of local communities through small income-generating projects”, which was launched at the beginning of 2021. Throughout this project, 10 grants were given to 40 women in the Jerusalem district, with funding from the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development.
MIFTAH completed the executive phase of the project in 2021-2022 by holding a capacity-building workshop for 48 grant beneficiaries. The training focused on developing self-assertion skills for the women, with the objective of empowering them and enhancing their role in the management of income-generating production projects, so they reflect positive patterns for women entrepreneurs in their communities. The project takes into consideration the needs of marginalized women categorized as vulnerable in their communities, by economically empowering them.
Beneficiary viewpoints
The beneficiaries stressed on the importance of continuing support and funding for their projects and expanding the network of beneficiaries through assessment of their achieved economic and social feasibility and the social, economic and psychological impacts of these projects on the women’s lives.
One beneficiary, Iftikhar Al Sheikh from Beit Sourik, northwest of Jerusalem, said the embroidery project she runs with four other women, economically empowered them and provided a source of income for their families in spite of the marketing challenges and obstacles they faced. She continued that this necessitated ongoing support so their projects could expand and achieve the best possible benefits.
Another beneficiary, Faeda Halabia from Silwan, south of the Old City of Jerusalem, who runs a food-manufacturing project with four other beneficiaries, expressed similar sentiments. She added that supporting such projects in Jerusalem had its own exclusivity, citing the challenges they face due to the Israeli occupation such as taxes on small projects and other more recent challenges from the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Halabia also said she hoped her project would continue to receive support so she and her colleagues could benefit from the income generated from it. She added that she and her colleagues are very interested in more MIFTAH training so they could further develop their project.
In her conclusion of the most important achievements of MIFTAH’s workshop and its ramifications on beneficiaries, trainer Wala’ Samara said, “The training focused on self-awareness tools, the importance of freeing ourselves from any negative feelings and learning how to cope with tension and anxiety. It also concentrated on the concepts of love and self-appreciation and how weak and strong points are formed, through the use of meditation and self-worth exercises, connecting with the self and strong internal dialogue.”
With this final training, MIFTAH has completed its project “Empowering rural women through small, income-generating projects”, which it has implemented in several Palestinian locations since 2008. The project was successful in terms of the impact and change it created in the lives of over 400 marginalized, rural women and their families in the Jericho and Jordan Valley, Ramallah/Al Bireh and Jerusalem districts. MIFTAH invested in this success by continuing to connect with the women and support their economic participation in Palestinian society. It also supported their involvement in the local market by opening the doors to more modern methods and technology to access foreign markets.
MIFTAH and Ministry of Labor presented the findings of the ministry’s 2022 Citizens' Budget
Date posted: June 29, 2022
By MIFTAH
Ramallah – 23/6/22 – MIFTAH in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor’s Gender-Unit, recently held a meeting to share the findings of the Ministry’s 2022 Citizens’ Budget. The objective of the meeting was to ensure the integration of standards of international transparency and gender in the ministry’s budget by releasing the Citizens’ Budget on a regular, annual basis and including gender-specific indicators.
The ministry’s vision and mission statement were presented, the strategic objectives of the labor sector between 2021 and 2023, in addition to the development and other programs adopted by the ministry for 2022. Distribution of the ministry’s employees according to gender and age and their distribution in vocational training centers was also showcased. The participants added that the Citizen’s budget also includes the percentage of disabled persons in the Ministry of Labor.
The Ministry of Labor’s Citizens’ Budget amounts to approximately ILS77 million, or 0.45% of the total public expenditures, distributed throughout the ministry’s various programs. The most prominent of these programs is the vocational training, employment and cooperation program, whose share of the budget is around ILS42 million, or 54.7%, in addition to the program for oversight and regulation of work relations, which stands at NIS11 million, or 14.7% of the expenditures.
The ministry’s Citizens Budget also includes distribution of the budget allocations according to its budget items, which include salaries, wages, social contributions and operational, capital and developmental costs. Development expenditures totaled ILS32 million, or 41.6%, distributed over several projects: creation of sustainable job opportunities for men and women laborers in Israeli illegal settlements, development of a labor market information system, building and equipping new vocational training centers and an outreach project for Palestinian workers in Israel.
During the discussion, a number of fiscal gaps became apparent in the Ministry of Labor’s budget of 2022. The most significant of these includes the ministry’s low share in the overall general budget, in addition to the gap between actual spending and the ministry’s estimated budget allocation, which hampers its plans and programs, especially since the Ministry of Labor is the vanguard of the operational sector in Palestine.
