Aida camp for Palestinian refugees witnessed, for the first time, the election of a popular committee for services in the camp, since the committees were established more than twenty years ago.
Saeed Al-Azza, Azhar Abu Srour, Najah Al-Akhil, Shatha Al-Azza, Muhammad Abu Srour, Muhammad Lutfi Daamsa, Mona Al-Masaeed, Jihad Abu Odeh and Muhammad Salih Abu Akar, won the elections for the membership of the committee. With the conference’s vote, the number of the committee’s members was increased from nine to eleven after two candidates could not withdraw in favor of others.
The first constituent conference was opened with a large meeting attended by a number of official and popular figures, especially from the Dheisheh camps and the Bethlehem governorate, the liberated prisoners, the Minister of Prisoners Issa Qaraqe, the liberated prisoner Nidal Abu Akar, a member of the Revolutionary Council of the Fatah movement Khawla al-Azraq and the Secretary of the Fatah region in Bethlehem Muhammad al-Masri and Raafat Al-Jawabra, Mayor of Doha, Muhammad Al-Jaafari, Director General of Public Affairs in Bethlehem Governorate, and Adel Muhaisin, Director General of the Refugee Affairs Department in the South, who oversaw the elections
The activities of the conference began with a moment of mourning for the souls of the martyrs, while the Palestinian national anthem was played, while the media wizard, Munjed Jado, who spoke about the importance of the elections in the camp’s popular committee, and the importance of working towards the solution of Palestine, all of Palestine, from its sea to its river.
In turn, the released prisoner Khaled Al-Azraq, head of the preparatory committee for the elections in the camp, spoke about the efforts and work of the committee during the last period and the mechanisms that were adopted to register the members of the conference, stressing that the committee was formed by consensus between the national action factions, institutions and the former Popular Committee, where it worked from the first moment to place the members of the conference
Al-Azraq indicated that there is a national responsibility on all Palestinians in general and the refugees in general, in light of all the conspiracies being hatched to eliminate the Palestinian national right, on top of which is the rumored news about the deal of the century that targets these rights.
Al-Azraq called on the members of the conference to assume their national responsibilities in choosing the new administrative body of the Popular committee in the camp, explaining that the committees and their membership are a way to serve our people and their national struggle that has been going on for seventy years, stressing that the committee adopted criteria set by the Department of Refugee Affairs.
The head of the committee praised the cooperation of the various organizations, institutions and the people of the camp for their understanding of the work of the committee, which was keen to work on finding a conference that represents everyone in the camp, pointing out that any citizen can refer to the Department of Refugee Affairs regarding membership for the conference, as it is the body that oversees the issues of elections and standards.
After the speech of the Preparatory Committee, the conference elected its presidency, headed by the mother of the prisoner, Nasser Abu Sorour, Hajja Mazyona, as an expression of the conference’s appreciation and honor for the Palestinian prisoners in the camp. The person sentenced to life imprisonment is a message to the residents of Aida camp, stressing that the message of Nasser, Mahmoud and all the prisoners is a message of unity and steadfastness.
After the election of the presidency of the conference, Minister Issa Qaraqe took over the management of the activities of the conference, where the quorum was verified, as one hundred and ten members of the conference attended out of one hundred and fifty members, which indicates the completion of the legal quorum, as the continuation of the conference was approved by his presidency.
Muhaisen stresses the importance of holding elections for the popular committees in the camps
In turn, the Director-General of the Department of Refugee Affairs, Adel Muhaisen, spoke, where he conveyed the greetings of the head of the Department of Refugee Affairs, Ahmed Abu Houli, to the masses and people of Aida camp and his first founding conference to elect the popular committee.
Muhaisin talked about the history of establishing and forming the committees, stressing that they were established by the decision of the immortal leader Yasser Arafat, and that they were established to strengthen the steadfastness of the camps, and to enhance the spirit and culture of struggle and resistance, and to strengthen and steadfastly the camps, but it is not a substitute for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
Muhaisen touched on the election law, which stipulates the selection of 1 percent of the camp’s population from fighters of the national action factions, prisoners and deportees, as well as legal and academic personalities, praising the efforts and work of the Preparatory Committee, which worked hard to complete the conference and hold it through communication with the factions and institutions on the one hand, and the Affairs Department. Refugees from the other side up to today
Muhaisen stressed that the elections are taking place in accordance with an approved and approved law, and that the aim of holding the elections is to work on finding more effective and active committees and to inject more capabilities in order to complete the process that began twenty years ago, wishing success for the conference in Aida camp.
Muhaisen stressed that the preparatory committee expanded and increased the number of members to make room for the largest number of active cadres in the camp by consensus, as the number reached one hundred and fifty members.
Muhaisen also answered a number of questions submitted by some members of the conference and the audience about the mechanisms for selecting the preparatory committees and some laws that run the work of the committees and the mechanisms for selecting the preparatory committee and members for the conference
Reading and approving financial and management reports
After verifying the quorum and giving a speech by the Department of Refugee Affairs, followed by Adnan Ajarmeh, the financial and administrative report for the last two years spoke about the efforts and work of the committee in recent years.
Al-Ajarma confirmed that the committee, in cooperation with the camp’s leaders, had met and approved a number of decisions, the most important of which was holding elections in the Popular Committee, the Youth Center and the Fatah movement in the camp to strengthen them and renew the young blood in it. Prior to UNRWA’s management of the committee that accepted these tasks for the sake of Assigning our people, but it refuses to be a substitute for UNRWA
He pointed out that the committee has implemented many events and activities over the years to serve the people of the camp and seek to communicate with many local and international bodies so that the committee can continue its services.
With regard to the financial report, Ajarmah indicated that the financial committee’s reports are available and open to everyone, stressing that they will read the financial reports for the years 2016 and 2017, noting that the incomes of these two workers amounted to more than five hundred thousand shekels, which consist of gifts, donations and grants from local sources, and that they were granted The sums are owed to a group of activities and projects of the committee, noting that there is a budget deficit for the last two years, amounting to about NIS 77,000, and it is current debts that are being repaid.
Regarding what the Popular Committee owns in the camp, Al-Ajarma said that the Committee owns its headquarters, which includes a wedding hall and shops, some of which are rented and a pharmacy, while work is underway to start building a new floor at the Committee’s headquarters to be an administrative headquarters instead of the current tenant. This is in addition to the committee’s lease of Armenian land near the wall, where this leased land is being prepared to be gardens for the camp.
After the financial and administrative reports were read, voted on and approved by the members of the conference and answered many questions and inquiries about the financial and administrative reports, Adnan Al-Ajarmeh submitted the resignation of the old Popular Committee, whereby the door for nomination was opened and a vote was taken to raise the number of members of the administrative body from nine to eleven after being nominated Thirteen elections, two withdrawals, and eleven candidates remaining. The members of the conference decided to raise the number of members of the administrative body to eleven seats, which opened the way for the election and the victory of all candidates for membership of the committee by consensus and acclamation, which created satisfaction in the conference that wished success for the new committee.
