The West Bank and Gaza: Free and Fair Elections, Human Rights and the Transition to Democracy

摘要: Free and fair elections are increasingly accepted as an essential component in situations of transition, whether in a'straightforward'democratizing political change from a single party to a multi-party system, or in the more complex scenarios of peace, reconciliation and the return of refugees. 1 At one time, the Palestinian question was widely seen as a unique example of almost a single issue, namely, refugees. Consequently, the greater emphasis fell on the right of return and the related question of compensation for those forced to flee their land, together with the international institutional arrangements set up in the 1940s to deal with registration and relief. In due course, the centrality of the claim to self-determination and statehood became apparent to a wider audience, both within the United Nations and more generally. Relevant as they doubtless were, return and compensation were ultimately subsidiary to the right …