by Hadeel Wahdan
MAY 4, 1999 was to be the date marking the end of the interim period, according to Article 3 of the Declaration of Principles. That ending would necessitate the holding of simultaneous elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council and the "president of the executive authority." This, however, did not take place.
The five-year interim phase officially ended without actually ending and with no other date set for its expiration. Despite Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's earlier decision to declare a Palestinian state at the end of the interim period, the move was later postponed. Consequently, the councils legally-allotted term ended without new elections.
The Legislative Councils position on holding elections is divided. Bassem Barhoum, Legislative Council media spokesperson sees the postponement of elections as resulting from political interests and that holding such elections would mean Palestinian acceptance of Israeli conditions and their stalling tactics and acceptance to be satisfied with any achievements so far.
But Council member Hasan Khreisheh says the main reason for the delay in holding elections is due to, the Palestinian Authoritys lack of political determination or inclination to hold these elections. In his opinion the Authority, in light of its many failings and poor performance, would not be able at the current time to win enough support to guarantee their return to authority once again.
On the other side of the issue is the Palestinian Authority, whose point of view was given by Marwan Kanafani, Arafat's spokesperson. Unexpectedly, he insists that the interim period really has ended. Kanafani says that those who say the Authority lacks the political desire for elections are taking a "political stance" whose principle aim is deflect criticism from Council members' own responsibility to hold elections.
" The issue of Council elections is the duty of the council members themselves and not that of the president or anyone else, says Kanafani. He assured that there are some council members who do not want elections now because they would lose their privileges if they lost.
The Palestinian Authority gave its implicit consent to extend the interim period until September 13, but there has been no official declaration. This muddies the legal justification for the continuing work of the Legislative Council and the executive authority.
But Kanafani says that the presence of the current Authority "springs from a popular desire." He says, "We should not mix between the Legislative Council elections - which have been linked with the executive authority presidential elections as a way of deceiving Israel so it would not oppose the establishment of the legislative council to become the Palestinian parliament - and executive authority elections, which I admit are important but not so at the present time.
Independent political analyst Khalil Shikaki believes that legally, according to the Declaration of Principles, there is still a basis for the continuing work of the Council and even an executive authority although the extension of the interim period has not been officially announced. However, from the other side, [that] is only fit for a dictatorship because it is not possible for any system of government that claims it is democratic to be legitimate without elections. For more information see Palestine Report on 5th April 2000.