NDI has maintained a presence in the Palestinian Territories since 1994, working with Palestinian political parties, civil society organizations, and activists to facilitate a more competitive multiparty system with representative institutions that are responsive to the Palestinian public. In addition, NDI has also conducted international election monitoring missions for major Palestinian elections, including the 2005 local elections and, in partnership with the Carter Center, the 2005 presidential election and the 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) elections. For more information on these missions, please see the following reports:

• Legislative Council Elections Final Report, January 2006
• Local Elections Final Report, 2005
• Local Election Preliminary Statement, May 2005
• Presidential Election Final Report, April 2005
• Preliminary Statement, January 2005

Since 2004, NDI has been focused on strengthening Palestinian political parties in an effort to:

• Reform internal party governance structures for greater transparency and accountability;
• Foster the adoption of internal democratic procedures for choosing new party leaders;
• Introduce professional organizational and party-management skills;
• Include women in a meaningful manner in party leadership positions;
• Employ modern technology for mobilizing party members and managing membership development; and
• Strengthen parties abilities to compete successfully in local and national elections.

NDI maintains ongoing technical assistance programs with four Palestinian political parties—Fateh, the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI), the Palestinian Democratic Union (FIDA) and the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (PSF)—and is open to working with other Palestinian parties that are eligible for U.S. assistance.

Strengthening Fateh

Following their defeat in the 2006 PLC elections, Fateh experienced extreme internal pressure to account for its loss of power, including demands to hold internal elections to replace the movement's aging leadership. NDI staff has vigorously engaged senior Fateh officials and political leaders to stress the importance of internal elections and leadership renewal, improved internal communication, and to assist the party in making the necessary organizational reforms. With NDI assistance and support, Fateh has achieved a number of significant milestones, including:

• The creation of a party membership database;
• Completion of internal elections;
• Development of skilled regional, district, and branch committees; and
• The convening of the Sixth Congress.

Despite its reputation, Fateh today exhibits signs of resilience and commitment to change. The backbone of this reinvigorated movement is a smart, technologically hungry, and professionally inclined younger generation of leaders.

Strengthening the Smaller Parties

Because the Palestinian political landscape is dominated by the two major factions, smaller Palestinian parties are often criticized as ineffective or insignificant. However, the growing number of Palestinians that are disaffected from Fateh and Hamas present an opportunity for these small parties to gain traction. NDI has worked with these parties, including PNI, FIDA and PSF, to refocus on grassroots activism and organizational development as they learn to compete effectively at the local and national level. NDI trainings have resulted in parties using improved communication strategies and membership outreach techniques, and conducting successful campaigns in university student council elections, often seen as a bellwether for Palestinian national politics.

External Links

• Democratic Union (FIDA) (Arabic & English)
• Palestinian National Initiative (Arabic & English)

Contact Information

For more information about these programs, use our contact form or contact:

Washington, D.C.
Lindsay Workman, Senior Program Manager
(202) 728-5404

Pictured above: Participants of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI) Youth Retreat develop the party's vision and strategy for youth engagement in Jericho.

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