Independent figures win 64.4% in West Bank municipal polls

Ramallah, March 28 The Palestinian Central Elections Commission (PCEC) announced that independent figures won 64.4 per cent of the 632-seat municipal councils in West Bank's second phase elections, whereas partisan lists obtained 35.6 per cent.

The second phase of municipal elections was held in 50 localities across the West Bank on March 26 after the first round of voting in December last year, producing a final turnout of 53.7 per cent out of the 715,413 electorates, Xinhua news agency quoted PCEC Chairman Hanna Nasser as saying to the media late Sunday.

The results included the number of votes and seats obtained by each list, and the winners' name, according to Nasser .

The total number of voters reached 380,000, and the percentage of valid ballots reached 97 per cent, aside from 1 per cent blank votes and 2 per cent invalid votes, he noted.

PCEC also announced the names of electoral lists that won by vocal approval in 23 municipal councils due to having only one list running for elections.

The Commission said it exerted all efforts to publish the results within 24 hours to allow for raising objections before the elections court within one week of the results announcement.

The court would then decide on the challenges within five days of submission before issuing its final binding decisions.

The Hamas, which has been ruling the Gaza Strip since 2007, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) boycotted the first phase held in the West Bank in December 2021.

The two had also boycotted the second phase.

Local elections in the Gaza Strip have not been held since 2004, while presidential elections have not taken place in Palestine since 2005, and the legislative or parliamentary polls were last held in 2006.

An internal Palestinian division started right after the Hamas movement had violently seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007.