Democratic Palestine : 22 (ص 8)
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- عنوان
- Democratic Palestine : 22 (ص 8)
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Bir Zeit University Elections
In the January 22nd elections of a new student council at Bir Zeit
University in occupied Palestine, nationalist forces won over the
Islamic list. However, these elections should also be evaluated in
terms of how well they reflected national unity in the field, which is
sorely needed in the current phase of the Palestinian struggle.
In terms of Palestinian student
politics, the Bir Zeit University elec-
tions were held on the backdrop of the
October 1986 elections at Bethlehem
University. These had embodied the
slogan of unity in the field, which is
raised by most democratic and na-
tionalist forces, mass organizations and
nationalist figures in the occupied
homeland. As a result, the National
Unity list won the elections. This
guaranteed the participation in the
student council of all four major na-
tionalist student blocs in the occupied
territories: the Palestinian Student Ac-
tion Front (3seats), the Student Youth
Bloc (3 seats), the Student Unity Bloc (1
seat), and the Progressive Student Bloc
(2 seats).
In the election campaign, these four
blocs consolidated their unity in the
field and behaved in a democratic
manner, adhering as closely as possible
to the principle of proportional
representation among themselves. This
unified conduct led to the election
defeat of suspicious religious forces
that are always seeking to detract from
the student movement’s positive na-
tionalist role.
Bir Zeit University’s new campus
The results of the Bethlehem elec-
tions were welcomed by all Palestinian
nationalist forces in occupied Palestine
and in exile. It was hoped that this
heralded a new phase of greater coor-
dination among the nationalist student
blocs, increasing the effectiveness of
the Palestinian student movement in
the occupied territories. This is very
important during this period in par-
ticular, as the dangers threatening the
Palestinian people and cause are inten-
sifying. This applies in the occupied
territories with the increase of
Jordanian-Israeli coordination,
pushing forward the joint con-
dominium plan for the West Bank and
Gaza Strip. This situation means
greater oppression of the Palestinian
nationalist forces, including the student
movement, as Jordan and ‘Israel’ work
to bolster their own stooges. Outside
the occupied territories as well, unity in
the field is demanded in order to foil
the plan of Amal and its supporters, to
eliminate the Palestinian nationalist
armed presence in Lebanon.
ELECTIONS AT BIR ZEIT
What happened in the elections at Bir
Zeit University was contradictory to
eu
what is required of the Palestinian na-
tionalist forces in the current political
situation where comprehensive national
unity in the PLO has not yet become a
reality. Let’s look at what actually oc-
curred... ,
In the elections, there were three
lists:(1) the Martyrs of Maghdousheh
list consisting of the Student Youth
Bloc, the Student Unity Bloc and the
Progressive Student Bloc;(2) the Martyr
Ghassan Kanafani list of the Pro-
gressive Student Action Front; and (3)
the Islamic list.
According to information from oc-
cupied Palestine, several rounds otf
discussions preceded the . elections,
aimed at uniting the four nationalist
student blocs on a single list. There was
agreement on adhering to two prin-
ciples for distributing the seats in the
student council among the blocs: (1)
participation of all nationalist student
forces in the coalition to be formed;
and (2) distributing the council seats in
accordance with’ proportional
representation as much as possible.
In the light of these two principles,
the Progressive Student Action Front
presented the following formula: five
seats for the Student Youth Bloc, two
at blll 4
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mas
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