There is need for a Law of Parties that accommodates for the Palestinian situation since Palestine is under occupation.
The division was one of the most prominent violations against the right to assembly and
association.
It is extremely significant to revive voluntary work in civil action.
The Coalition for Accountability and Integrity – AMAN- and the Palestinian Coalition for the Right to Assembly and Association held five awareness workshops under the title “Developments in the Palestinian Situation Regarding the Right to Assembly and Association.” The workshops took place in Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron and Gaza.
The workshops aimed to introduce participants to the Palestinian legislative system on the right to assembly in Palestine with respect to political parties, trade unions and NGOs, especially in light of the latest developments in the Palestinian territories and the frequent violations of this right, as well as the popular liberation movements that are taking place in many Arab countries.
Participants discussed in these workshops the concept of the right to assembly and association which the Palestinian people seek to have as an absolute human value and an urgent need for development and struggle. They also cited constitutional and international principles and standards that protect and defend the right to assembly and association. Moreover, participants touched on the obstacles confronting the right to assembly in Palestine at both the legal and practical levels.
Dr Azmi Shuaibi gave a historical overview of the Palestinian role in advocating the right to assembly and the establishment of NGOs, trade unions and associations since the 1920s until the present time. Members of the Coordination Council of the Palestinian Coalition for the Right to Assembly and Association Dr Allam Jarrar, legal researcher Hani Abu Amra, PLC member Qais Abdel Kareem, and Mahmoud Ziyadeh briefed on the legal framework regulating the work of civil society, parties, trade unions and their practice on the ground.
Participants in the workshops stressed the importance of cooperation in promoting and protecting the right to assembly, taking into account the organization of exercising this right in line with laws regulating it. At the same time, calling for setting up mechanisms governing the exercise of rights, participants underlined the fact that the right to assembly upholds the independence and freedom of affiliation and assembly within political parties, NGOs, associations and trade unions on the basis that free and voluntary membership is a right guaranteed to everyone.
Additionally, participants noted that the internal political division was one of the most prominent causes that led to the infringement of the right to assembly and association in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Forms of this infringement included the closure or cancelation of the registration of several NGOs and changing or substituting the administrative bodies of others. Such a practice exposed political affiliation as the main driving force behind continuation of work. Furthermore, the practice impeded the implementation of relevant laws and legislations pertaining to the right to assembly and association.
One of the main recommendations resulting from the five workshops relating to the right to assembly and association for political parties is the need to develop a law for political parties that accommodates for the Palestinian situation in order to secure the right to assembly, taking into account that Palestine is under Israeli military occupation.
It should be noted that AMAN, in cooperation with the Palestinian Coalition for the Right to Assembly and Association, will develop a code of conduct for political parties as a first step to organize the work of parties.
As regards the right to assembly for NGOs, participants emphasized that there is a blatant violation of the Law of Charitable Associations by the competent authorities regarding the registration of associations and the violation of the principle of financial and administrative autonomy, and especially the issue of delegating signatories to sign financial bonds and the way the Ministry of Interior handles financial accounts of civil organizations. Participants also stressed the importance of supporting the general budget of civil organizations and diminishing dependence on external funding so that the organizations do not become a prey to any foreign agendas. Moreover, participants called for reviving the principle of voluntary work in civil action.
In connection with the right to assembly in the work of trade unions, participants said that the principle of trade union action is based on autonomy and independence and hence the intervention of security apparatuses in their work or their membership violates this principle. Participants also stressed the importance of voluntary work in trade unions.
The workshops fall within “Defending the Right to Assembly and Association in Palestine Project” in cooperation with Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
