From Deseret News archives:
Palestinians pass election law
New system will mix local and national candidates
The new law would create a mixed electoral system with half of the lawmakers chosen by local districts, and the other half chosen from a national list of party candidates.
No new election date was announced, but Parliament Speaker Rauhi Fattouh said he expected the vote would be scheduled for January.
The Islamic group Hamas, whose popularity has risen sharply in recent months, has demanded prompt elections and threatened to pull out of a shaky truce between the Palestinians and Israel if they are not held. Since the cease-fire took effect in February, violence has decreased, but attacks still occur.
On Saturday, three Palestinian militants opened fire at an army post in the settlement of Kfar Darom in the Gaza Strip, sparking a gunbattle that killed one of the attackers and wounded another, the Israeli army said. Islamic Jihad identified the dead militant as one of its members. There were no Israeli casualties, the army said.
A group of Israeli extremists holed up in an abandoned hotel in the Gush Katif cluster of settlements in Gaza attacked Palestinians who live in the area, Israel's Channel Two reported. One Palestinian was shot in the leg and three others were beaten with belts and fists, according to the report. Israeli police could not immediately be reached for comment.
Earlier this month, Abbas indefinitely postponed parliamentary elections set for July 17, citing delays in reaching agreement on a new election law.
The delay was seen as an effort by Abbas to buy time for his struggling Fatah party to fend off a growing challenge from Hamas, which has won several key races in recent local elections.
Abbas had opposed a previous election law passed by parliament that called for two-thirds of the lawmakers to be chosen in district elections, a system many believed would favor Hamas because it has strong regional appeal. Abbas wanted all lawmakers chosen at the "national" level.
On Saturday, a compromise was reached and the new law passed by a vote of 43 to 14. Abbas must sign it before it can take effect.
The law prompted a lukewarm response from Hamas.
"What's important here is to have a timetable to approve the election bill, finally, officially, and for it to be adopted and for a date to be chosen for holding the election with the coordination with the Palestinian factions," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.
Under the new law, the number of lawmakers would increase to 132 from the current 88. Half would be chosen in elections from 16 districts, while the remainder will be elected from party lists.
The poll would mark Hamas' first foray into parliamentary elections. Recent surveys have shown growing dissatisfaction among Palestinians with Abbas' Fatah party, widely viewed as corrupt.
The current parliament was elected in 1996. Elections were scheduled several times since then, but subsequently canceled. The late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said he could not hold elections as long as Israeli troops controlled the West Bank and Gaza.
