VZCZCXRO6806
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0597 0911459
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 011459Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4562
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0171
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2937

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.