Rival Palestinian Political Factions Claim Victory In UNRWA

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 000597 SENSITIVE SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND NEA/IPA, PRM FOR FRONT OFFICE AND PRM/ANE; NSC FOR PASCUAL/PRATT; PLEASE PASS TO USAID FOR KUNDER/MCCLOUD/BORODIN/NANDY/LAUDATO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL PHUM PREF EAID KWBG KPAL IS SUBJECT: Rival Palestinian Political Factions Claim Victory In UNRWA Staff Union Elections ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Competing statements have described UNRWA's employee union triennial elections, for which results were released March 25, as a "victory" for either Hamas or "the PLO." UNRWA and Palestinian contacts maintain that candidates for employee union offices do not run on party platforms and that the union does not tackle political issues. In response to the political parties' claims, UNRWA/Gaza Director John Ging sent a letter to all staff and a separate letter to those elected to the union leadership reminding them of their obligations to refrain from all political activity. End Summary. Hamas and Fatah Both Seek Political Win -------------- ¶2. (SBU) After the UNRWA staff union announced its election results March 25, the pro-PLO bloc of candidates, running under the name "Union for Unity," claimed victory over the pro-Hamas bloc of candidates. Gaza-based officials for Fatah, DFLP, and the Palestinian People's Party issued statements claiming victory over Hamas. Gaza-based Fatah Revolutionary Council member Abu al Naja publicly congratulated the pro-PLO candidates for winning the election. Hamas itself claimed victory by announcing on its official website that it had won 17 of the 27 union leadership seats. ¶3. (SBU) UNRWA staff unions are comprised of three sector unions -- teachers, medical workers, and service providers/clerks -- overseen by an executive committee. The pro-PLO bloc won an overall majority in two of the three sector unions, and therefore, will control the executive committee while the pro-Hamas bloc won a majority of votes (63 percent of the over 10,000 votes cast) and a majority of the teachers union, the largest part of UNRWA's work force. UNRWA Responds to Ensure Staff Neutrality -------------- ¶4. (SBU) UNRWA/Gaza Deputy Director Christer Nordahl told RefCoord that staff union representatives are elected as individuals and not on a party slate. Nordahl also asserted that UNRWA employees who express politically-affiliated positions in a public forum will be disciplined in accordance with UNRWA's codes of conduct. ¶5. (SBU) UNRWA also provided Post with copies of two letters, sent March 29 and 30, reminding staff that UNRWA's code of conduct requires them to refrain from political activity of any kind. Citing concern that this latest UNRWA staff union election was more politically charged than past elections, in the March 29 letter to, UNRWA/Gaza Director John Ging stated that "UNRWA staff must not be under the influence of any political party in the conduct of their work." In the March 30 letter, which was addressed specifically to the employees elected to the staff union, UNRWA management reminded staff that they "are prohibited from engaging in any political activity which is inconsistent with or might reflect upon the independence and impartiality required by their status" as UN employees. Comment -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Elections for Palestinian professional associations, civic organizations, and unions have historically been politicized, dating back to the pre-PA period when these were the only form of elections allowed in the West Bank and Gaza. In this context, UNRWA staff elections have also historically attracted the attention of the factions. For example, Hamas claimed victory in the 2006 UNRWA staff elections. However, there has been no noticeable impact since then on UNRWA's programs in Gaza and UNRWA management's proactive efforts this time are intended to keep it that way.