The Palestinian Authority held local elections for the first time in seven years over the weekend, hoping to establish a measure of democratic legitimacy as Palestinian Authority President Abbas prepared to violate negotiated understandings with Israel and seek a declaration of statehood in the United Nations. The PA’s efforts suffered from low voter participation, a Hamas boycott, and voting that occurred in just one-fourth of the West Bank’s 353 municipalities – factors that damaged the election’s credibility. Potentially even more damaging, Abbas’s ruling Fatah party was unable to gain significant electoral ground despite widespread non-participation by rival parties. Palestinian analysts dubbed the poll a “Fatah failure.”

[Photo: Pahpaha / Wiki Commons]