Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-11-17-Speech-3-050"
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"en.20041117.3.3-050"2
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"Mr President, Yasser Arafat’s death means the start of a new era for Palestine, and one which is filled with uncertainty. Under the Palestinian Constitution, presidential elections must be held within a period of 60 days. If elections were to be held today, however, they could be hampered by a number of obstacles.
The first of these obstacles relates to the freedom of movement of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, something which is essential both for the electoral campaign and for election preparations, the holding of elections and the counting of votes, but which is far from guaranteed. East Jerusalem poses the most problems, as the Israeli authorities there refuse to allow Palestinians to be registered on the electoral roll. I am therefore calling on the Council to take joint action with the United States in bringing pressure to bear on Israel so that it withdraws the troops currently deployed in the occupied territories.
The second obstacle faced is that of challenges to the eligibility of a candidate. It is up to the Palestinian authorities, and to them alone, to decide who is eligible on the basis of their own criteria.
The third obstacle relates to practical organisational issues and ensuring that the vote is fair, and this is an area in which the EU’s practical experience and support will be essential.
The fourth obstacle is that of ensuring that the elections are safe, something which should be guaranteed for candidates, voters and observers alike. Palestinian police officers do not carry arms, and struggle to ensure the safety of civilians. Political security is dependent on the extent to which extremist groups are kept under control. The recent attempts by Fatah to include Hamas in a government of national unity, as long as it renounces the armed struggle, are something which should be monitored very closely by the EU.
I should like to know what plans have been made at this stage with the Palestinians to ensure that the elections are safe. I am sorry to have to say it, Mr President, but to date Europe’s voice within the Quartet has been almost inaudible, and we should take this opportunity to make ourselves heard. We must now provide Palestine with staunch support to ensure that elections at any level are held freely, and we will of course always do the same for Israel to ensure that the indiscriminate attacks which plunge entire families into mourning are brought to an end. It is my firm belief that, more than ever before, the future of one nation is inextricably bound up with the future of other nations."@en1
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