Ma'an Gaza – On Sunday, the National Society for Law and Democracy in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah issued praise for the electoral process.
In addition to commenting that the elections were ‘fair and transparent,’ the Society said that the earlier period of security personnel voting was ‘quiet and suitable.’
However, the Society issued a complaint regarding the pre-public voting of Palestinian Authority security personnel by saying that campaigning continued in front of some elections centers, which is a direct violation of Palestinian Elections Law.
The complaint regarding that three-day early voting period also included that some names were not found on the rosters, causing those members of security to vote with the general public on 25 January instead of working.
Some members of the security personnel reportedly carried their weapons into polling places, despite orders to the contrary. The report also noted that some fist-fighting erupted outside polling places, while a few incidents of shooting into the air were reported as well.
The National Society for Law and Democracy also reported Sunday that some of the polling places were located on second floors, rendering them unsuitable for handicapped voters.