Palestinian Return Centre

Is it time for a new Initifada? Trying something new? What if Palestinian refugees and diaspora also voted at the some time as Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza? Is it time for them to be seen and heard from the ballot box? Around the world? The next Palestinian elections could be Unity Elections. Giving expression also to the voices who have not been able to return to their homes and villages, and unable to register to vote and vote at polling booths.

The Isrealis and Americans don't seem to be changing their actions on the ground. The political situation with Hamas and Fatah is looking for unity ideas. By including the Palestinian refugees and diaspora, Palestinians will have a more united voice and also elected representatives who have been given the backing by the refugees directly.

Israelis with American passports can vote in American elections, thousands of miles away, how about Palestinian refugees in the Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Egypt vote in Palestinian elections? The expulsion of people in 1948 and 1967 could also be seen as

an expulsion of voters.

The first Initifada: led to the setting up new institutions, including an independent electoral commission.

The second Intifada: led to more people around the world knowing what has been happening, however also the building of the wall.

A new Intifada: with Palestinian refugees and diaspora registering to vote and also voting on the same day as voters in the West Bank and Gaza, would allow people around the world to also rally in favour of their politicians to recognise the voters, and also their link to their ancestral towns.

Palestinians living outside the Holy Land could also have on their Voter Registration Cards, their ancestral towns and electoral districts, for example: Haifa, Acre, Beisan, Safed, Nazareth, Tulkarm, Jaffa, Jenin, Tiberius, Ramallah, Nablus, Ramleh, Hebron, Gaza, Jerusalem, Beersheba. So they could go into polling stations and place their votes in ballot boxes marked with their ancestral electoral districts, for example, Jaffa, Haifa - with TV media sending the voting process around the world. An Initifada can be many things.

They could vote for representatives for their ancestral electoral districts, so having representatives speaking for those areas, and what those refugees and diaspora would like as solutions and options. Other options could also come from this, including organising referendums for solutions for the refugees/diaspora.

The Central Elections Commission Palestine has many skilled and trained people, respected internationally: www.elections.ps

Most of the refugees live in the region and are well documented in various agencies with all their details, so verifying them for voting would be easy. The first Palestinian elections in 1996 took 10 weeks to organise, including voter registration of 1 million voters. Now the teams are better trained and experienced.

Is there an internationally recognised process for refugees to vote linkingto their ancestral country/ Yes, it's called Out Of Country Voting (OCV), or even ‘postal voting'.

Palestinian refugees and diaspora have a lot of skills and energy, that could be better organised with freely elected representatives to develop additional initiatives for expanding the number of politicians around the world who have had a look at the facts and believe policy changes are needed by governments. The voters in the West have the power to remove governments and replace them with new leaders. They also have the freedom to organise pro-democracy rallies, calling for the recognition of Palestinian refugees/diaspora votes.

Perhaps something else to look at is the time between elections. How about elections every 2 years, so giving politicians feedback on performance in a shorter time. Additional seats could be allocated for the areas within pre-1967 Israel.

Whatever the choice, by having elections every 2 years, or even 1 year after Unity Elections, the representatives could listen to what people would like and the different options.

So what could the first Unity Elections representatives do?

Firstly, a full census of Palestinians - yes, including children and grandchildren of those displaced, since they would likely still be living in the Holy Land, or have dual nationality if living elsewhere.

Secondly, develop the political framework for government

Thirdly, better represent all Palestinians abroad, West Bank, Gaza, Refugees/Diaspora

Fourthly, other ideas could likely develop

The Palestinian refugees and diaspora could have a role to play in the options for peace and solutions. The next Palestinian elections could be Unity Elections, and an opportunity for the refugees and diaspora to join the West Bank and Gaza in being seen and heard at the ballot box, around the world - a new form of Intifada, their ‘voting voice' being expressed, and new ideas for peace.

Pal Telegraph
PT Special Writer
Hugo van Randwyck