Christians warn of Palestinian vote block
-09/01/05
Israeli border restrictions will pre
Christians warn of Palestinian vote block
-09/01/05
Israeli border restrictions will prevent thousands of Palestinians voting in landmark elections, UK Christians monitoring the poll have warned.
Up to 20,000 Palestinians who travelled to Egypt in search of work are trapped by the closure of the Rafa crossing in southern Gaza, according to Christian Aid.
Many have been trying to cross since December 12 and around 3,000 remain camped on the border in the hope of taking part in the poll.
Among those set to miss the poll is Jaber Wishah, deputy head of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, which is supposed to be ensuring the elections are free and fair.
There were already concerns that movement restrictions inside the Palestinian territories threatened to undermine the credibility of the vote.
The Rafa situation is causing “great consternation” among the local observers trained by the British aid agency, which is also co-ordinating some of the work of international observers in Gaza.
A Catholic peace group Pax Christi has already sent a representative to join with MPs, Trade Unionists and others as a monitor for the elections. They are part of an international monitoring team which is coordinated in France by the Coordination de líAppel de Strasbourg and the Popular Committee for the elections in Palestine.
“The elections are all prepared to go ahead in a free and fair manner,” said Christian Aid’s Dominic Nutt. “The Israeli restrictions are the only thing that now stand in the way of this happening.
“It is ironic because the Israelis say they want the Palestinians to produce a clean candidate with a clear mandate to negotiate with Ariel Sharon. But it is Sharon’s government and Sharon’s military who seem to be intent on stopping that.”
Speaking from Gaza, Mr Nutt said no reason had been given to Palestinians for the border closure and most had simply taken it in their stride.
Mahmoud Abbas is favourite to succeed the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Christians warn of Palestinian vote block
-09/01/05
Israeli border restrictions will prevent thousands of Palestinians voting in landmark elections, UK Christians monitoring the poll have warned.
Up to 20,000 Palestinians who travelled to Egypt in search of work are trapped by the closure of the Rafa crossing in southern Gaza, according to Christian Aid.
Many have been trying to cross since December 12 and around 3,000 remain camped on the border in the hope of taking part in the poll.
Among those set to miss the poll is Jaber Wishah, deputy head of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, which is supposed to be ensuring the elections are free and fair.
There were already concerns that movement restrictions inside the Palestinian territories threatened to undermine the credibility of the vote.
The Rafa situation is causing “great consternation” among the local observers trained by the British aid agency, which is also co-ordinating some of the work of international observers in Gaza.
A Catholic peace group Pax Christi has already sent a representative to join with MPs, Trade Unionists and others as a monitor for the elections. They are part of an international monitoring team which is coordinated in France by the Coordination de líAppel de Strasbourg and the Popular Committee for the elections in Palestine.
“The elections are all prepared to go ahead in a free and fair manner,” said Christian Aid’s Dominic Nutt. “The Israeli restrictions are the only thing that now stand in the way of this happening.
“It is ironic because the Israelis say they want the Palestinians to produce a clean candidate with a clear mandate to negotiate with Ariel Sharon. But it is Sharon’s government and Sharon’s military who seem to be intent on stopping that.”
Speaking from Gaza, Mr Nutt said no reason had been given to Palestinians for the border closure and most had simply taken it in their stride.
Mahmoud Abbas is favourite to succeed the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.