The Democratic Alliance List (Arabic: قائمة التحالف الديمقراطي), also referred to as the Democratic Alliance Forces (قوى التحالف الديمقراطي) or just the Democratic Alliance (التحالف الديمقراطي), was a coalition launched before the Palestinian local government elections that were initially scheduled for October 2016,[1] consisting of five left-wing Palestinian factions:
Democratic Alliance List
قائمة التحالف الديمقراطي
| |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinator | Mohammed Hamarsheh |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Ideology | Palestinian nationalism Secularism Socialism |
| Political position | Left-wing |
| National affiliation | PLO (majority) |
| Factions |
|
|
| |
along with several unaffiliated independent candidates.[2][3][4][5] The Alliance was led by a Central Committee and an Advisory Board.[6] Mohammed Hamarsheh was named coordinator of the Alliance.[7][8]
The Alliance was presented at a press conference in Ramallah on 10 August 2016, chaired by Mustafa Barghouti (General Secretary PNI), Qais Abd al-Karim (Deputy General Secretary DFLP), Bassam as-Salhi (General Secretary PPP), Khalida Jarrar (PFLP), and Zahira Kamal (Fida).[4] Jarrar stressed that the alliance would act as a third force, seeking to overcome the Fatah-Hamas dichotomy.[4]
Its candidature was officially registered with the Central Election Commission on 16 August 2016, the first day of registrations.[7][8][9] The Alliance was assigned the letter Aleph (أ), the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, as its ballot symbol.[7][8]
On the night of 23 August 2016, unknown gunmen reportedly opened fire on the residence of Nureddin Khalaf, the top candidate of the Alliance in Burqin municipality, Jenin Governorate.[10]
On 25 August 2016, the Alliance submitted to the Central Election Commission its candidate list for the Gaza Strip,[11] and indicated that Majida Al-Masri would head its list in the Nablus municipality.[12][13] In the Jenin municipality, the Alliance nominated PNI activist Mohammad Abu Al-Hija as its top candidate.[14]
In the Al-Bireh municipality, the Alliance declared that they were continuing the work of the previous 'Al-Bireh for All' list from past elections.[15] Jamal Al-Nasar was named number-one on the Alliance list in the municipality.[15]
On 8 September 2016, the Ramallah High Court of Justice postponed the local elections indefinitely.[16] The Democratic Alliance List and its constituent parties criticized the court ruling.[17]
At the elections, which took place on 13 May 2017, the Alliance won 5 of the 3,253 contested seats, gaining 0.32% of the votes.
The symbol of the Democratic Alliance List resembles a doveinPalestinian national colours with the head shaped as the ballot symbol of the list, the letter Aleph. The text reads "Palestine deserves the Democratic Alliance".