BICOM

The Palestinian Electoral Commission began a drive this week to update its electoral records for the first time in seven years in both the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian areas of the West Bank.

The registration drive, which will continue until 18 February, is viewed as part of attempts at reconciliation between the two major Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas. The two have been fierce rivals since a bloody coup by Hamas in Gaza brought an end to a short-lived unity government in June 2007. As a result, the Fatah dominated Palestinian Authority (PA) rules the Palestinian areas of the West Bank, while the Hamas regime controls the Gaza Strip. However, relations between the two have visibly warmed over the past several months and intermittent talks have taken place between the two factions in Cairo aimed at reconciliation and the eventual formation of a unity government.

However, although Palestinian law requires elections to be held within three months of completing the registration drive, no date has been set for voting, while disagreements have repeatedly prevented elections from taking place in the past. Hamas and Fatah officials have not yet agreed on what kind of election system would be used, or how power would be shared.

The latest talks to solve these issues took place over the weekend in Cairo and reconciliation talks are set to continue this week. Fatah official Mohammed al-Madani expressed only lukewarm optimism saying, “We hope it will lead to positive results, despite points in dispute.” Commenting on the voter registration drive, Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza Ismael Haniyah struck a similar tone saying, “We want to make this step a beginning to end the split [between Fatah and Hamas] and to achieve reconciliation.”