walled city Mayor held behind bars

An imprisoned Hamas candidate from the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, won mayoral elections, his deputy will take position in city hall.

Wajeeh Qawais, a member of Hamas, has been in Ofer detention over the past three years.

Apparently, the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, decided to run a security detainee in the elections campaign in order to raise awareness among the residents on the issue of detainees, and to demonstrate its role regarding the detainees.

After winning the elections, Qawais appointed a deputy mayor to fulfill his responsibilities in the municipality. 

In spite that the ruling Fatah movement won in most of the municipalities, Hamas managed to score high results, and showed significant presence.

Also, the movement managed to take all 15 seats in Qalqilia completely siding any presence for Fatah. 

Fatah movement demanded a recount of votes in Rafah and al-Boreij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip arguing that the local election board in the two areas was biased in favor of the Islamic Movement.

Also, Fatah officials said that hundreds of residents were not able to vote, but Hamas dismissed the charges.

Hamas, on the other hand, accused Palestinian Authority security officials for interfering in favor of Fatah, and said that such conducts endanger the Palestinian unity “in a way even the occupation never did”.

Fatah managed to win in 52 municipal elections, while Hamas won in 28, but Fatah officials believe that their movement could have done better if ‘there was no split in votes’.