At 10.
30 am on December 5th in Al Aqsa University, Khan Younis, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights launched its ambitious campaign to enhance public participation in the January 25th PLC elections, and conducted its first open meetings on public participation, a meeting which was attended by over 100 of the university's students.
The meeting was chaired by Mounir Hajjar, Al Mezan Campaign Coordinator.
The meeting was also attended by Dr Nasser Aid, Dean of the Faculty of Arts in Al Aqsa University, Dr Mohammed Abu Hadrus, and Mr Ali Al Nems and Wissam Qudeh, all committee members of the Central Elections Commissions.
The meeting focused on the following points: The importance of public electoral participation in selecting PLC members The fact that these elections should be based on national interest rather than personal or group interest while electing PLC members.
The fact that these elections should reinforce democracy in the Palestinian political structure in order to better confront current and future challenges The meeting also focused on urging citizens to widely participate in the elections to develop and strengthen the democratic process in the Palestinian territories, and to consider the elections as a transition to political reform and as a means of challenging political, social and economic obstacles.
This meeting is a first of its kind in a series of 27 open meetings to be conducted by Al Mezan on activating and reinforcing public participation in the upcoming PLC elections.
There will, in addition be a further 9 workshops organized to raise awareness of PLC electoral procedures and over 20 training sessions conducted for election observers from Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights and other NGOs on elections, democracy and election- monitoring.
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