AMAN urges the government and the political authority to stop their current approach towards appointments in senior positions and establish a “governance quality committee” to ensure the integrity of appointments in senior positions

Ramallah- In the framework of its continuous efforts to enhance government integrity and fight corruption in Palestine, including integrity and transparency in access to the government through appointments and elections, AMAN followed up the recent appointments in some senior positions. Despite announcing reforms and measures to enhance the governance of public funds and affairs, and restructure and streamline the state institutions of Palestine, AMAN noted that some powerful persons are exploiting the poor accountability and integrity system in the government. There is a continued failure to comply with the principles of integrity, equal opportunities, and equality in appointments in public positions, and merits in senior appointments. It also noted poor compliance with the law regarding the required qualifications, benefits, prevention of conflict of interests in senior appointments, and pursuits to make private gains at the expense of public interests. 

Hence, AMAN asserts the following:

1. The appointments in senior positions in general, and positions in oversight bodies, such as the Judiciary and the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau in particular, must be extremely perceptive and careful, to ensure that such bodies are independent and immune from any political interference. Those appointments must apply the conditions and standards of competence and specialization upon selection of the appointees.
2. Appointments and contracts with persons over the age of sixty represent a departure from unequivocal government decisions, decrees and pledges in this regard.    
3. Some appointments of former ministers and officials in senior positions represent a policy of appeasement, gaining loyalty, and concentration of power, in contravention with the provisions of the Basic Law, as they squander public money and violate integrity in governance.

The Palestinian people in the occupied West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem, face the genocidal war and the occupation’s offensive, accompanied with pirating the Palestinian clearance money, which has deepened the crisis of the Palestinian National Authority. This current situation requires the utmost responsiveness to the requirements of integrity in governance to strengthen the public confidence and steadfastness. Furthermore, it requires the highest level of efficiency and effectiveness to manage and use the scarce resources fairly and to serve public, rather private interests.

AMAN reiterates its previous and continuous demands. When there is the urgent need for approving any new appointments, it is imperative that such appointments are compliant with the principles of good governance. Moreover, there is a need to form a senior national committee to supervise appointments in senior positions- a governance quality committee- a basic requisite for enhancing governance integrity. AMAN also demands that the government and the political authority reconsider the recent appointments, stop their current approach that contravenes with the applicable legislations and with the principles of competence and merits in public employment, and immediately establish this committee to review and supervise the integrity of appointments in public positions.