The polling stations are opened on time and the electoral process is carried out smoothly

Polling stations were opened at 7am on January 25th 2006, with the exception of a few stations which opened ten minutes later.
Voter participation was at its highest ever compared with previous elections.
According to Al Mezan observers, the voting process took place calmly across all polling stations throughout the Gaza Strip, in accordance with the law and with CEC regulations.
According to the CEC, the total number of voters who participated was 1,273,794 voters in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), of which 485,067 were in the Gaza Strip (excluding 58,705 voters across the OPT from police and security apparatuses who voted previously, among whom 36,091 were from the Gaza Strip).
There were 254 polling stations in the Gaza Strip, six of which were dedicated to the voting of security officials, and there were 988 polling booths.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights recorded numerous complaints and remarks, most notably the continuation of electoral campaigns outside the polling stations while little campaigning was recorded inside the stations; these violations were reported by Al Mezan to the CEC.
Furthermore, Al Mezan requested the CEC to clarify its position regarding immersing in ink the finger of the companions of illiterate voters; this was applied in but a number of stations, which created a air of ambiguity with regards to the CEC's position on such procedures.
A limited number of heads of polling stations refused to announce the opening proceedings until they were forced to by the observers.
Further, Al Mezan reported a violation by an observer inside a polling station who misled a voter while explaining to her how to vote.
Al Mezan submitted complaints to the CEC after a number of Al Mezan observers were unjustifiably removed from polling stations in Gaza city, Khan Younis, middle district, and northern Gaza.
The observers were brought back after Al Mezan contacted the CEC.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights welcomes the opening of the voting process in a calm atmosphere characterized by the prevention of electoral campaigns inside the polling stations; it also calls upon the CEC to push for a cessation of all forms of electoral campaigning, which might cause confusion and tension that would affect the efficiency of the voting process.
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