Arab World Democracy & Electoral Monitor (Al- Marsad) welcomes the presidential decree regarding the elections for the Legislative Council, Presidency, and the National Council.

The Arab World Democracy & Electoral Monitor (Al-Marsad) welcomes the recent developments regarding the issuance of the presidential decree on general elections. It considers that the opportunity has now been created to renew the legitimacy of all leadership bodies within the Palestinian political system, returning the legitimacy to its rightful owners, the voters, as the source of political legitimacy. This will enable citizens to exercise their political rights and contribute to building a democratic political system that helps restore unity between the two parts of the homeland on democratic foundations, while contributing to the unification of national institutions to confront the challenges facing the Palestinian people and paving the way for liberation from occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Al-Marsad views the decree as the beginning of the electoral process, based on the timeline set by the Palestinian Central Election Commission. It places the responsibility on political forces, factions, and parties to ensure the provision of an electoral environment by guaranteeing the freedoms necessary for the success of free and fair democratic elections. At the same time, the decree places an additional responsibility on friendly nations to exert pressure on the occupation to ensure the participation of Palestinian citizens in Jerusalem, both in voting and candidacy, just as in the other Palestinian cities. While we view the decree as a fundamental step in the electoral process, we call for the following: Political parties, forces, and factions to sign a code of honor before starting the national dialogue, committing all parties not to leave the dialogue until an agreement is reached on all matters that help overcome obstacles and hold free and fair democratic elections. Political factions, forces, and parties to refrain from any press statements that may disrupt the atmosphere of unity, and to assume responsibility for promoting a positive spirit. Political parties, forces, and factions to place Jerusalemite candidates at the forefront of their electoral lists, contributing to increasing the number of legislative council members from the holy city. The Palestinian government to be considered a caretaker government until the elections are held, and to refrain from making any decisions that may influence the electoral process in favor of any party. Political parties, forces, and factions to commit to including both young men and women in their lists, ensuring representation, and to ensure gender equity in the electoral lists, with at least 30% representation for women. Al-Marsad, in cooperation with Palestinian civil society institutions, affirms its commitment to the creation of an electoral code of honor that ensures all parties participating in the elections adhere to it. The code should encompass the electoral environment, the electoral process, and post-election matters. The importance of coordinating efforts between the Central Election Commission, civil society organizations, political forces, and parties to organize the largest possible electoral awareness campaign across all Palestinian areas, especially in Jerusalem, to ensure maximum participation from both male and female citizens in the electoral process. The importance of media outlets committing to broadcasting a positive, unifying spirit to encourage both male and female voters to participate in the electoral process. In collaboration with the Civil Committee for Election Monitoring, Al-Marsad is committed to contributing to enhancing the integrity and democracy of the elections through monitoring the electoral process from its start to the announcement of the final results via local monitoring teams in all governorates. Al-Marsad calls on international monitoring organizations, such as the European Union, the Carter Center, and the National Democratic Institute, to contribute to providing international oversight over the elections.