RAMALLAH / PNN / 

The Central Elections Commission announced on Sunday the final results of the local elections held in 183 local councils in the West Bank, in addition to the city of Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, including the number of votes and seats won by each list.

Head of the Commission, Rami Hamdallah, said during a press conference in Al-Bireh that the electoral process took place under highly complex conditions but was completed with integrity and transparency.

He explained that the new election law was applied for the first time, introducing an open-list system and a mixed individual system, which required extensive awareness programs and the training of thousands of trainers to ensure the success of the process.

Regarding the elections held in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Hamdallah said the commission treated the West Bank and Gaza Strip as a single geographic unit despite major challenges facing the process.

He noted that one of the main difficulties was the inability to bring in electoral materials, adding that residents in Gaza managed to locally print ballot papers and prepare boxes, enabling the elections to take place in the city.

Hamdallah said voter turnout reached 23 percent, attributing the low rate to reliance on an outdated civil registry amid the presence of thousands of fatalities and the displacement of entire families from Deir al-Balah to other areas.

He expressed hope that elections would soon be held in additional local councils across the Gaza Strip.

Meantime, Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa affirmed that the Ministry of Local Government will support the newly elected councils to help them deliver better services to citizens.