BIRZEIT, May 9, 2018 (WAFA) - Al Wafaa’ Islamic Bloc won 24 seats out of 51 in the Birzeit University Students Council elections with a total of 3784 votes.

Competing bloc Martyr Yasser Arafat won 23 seats with 3615 votes, while the Democratic Progressive Student Pole won 4 seats with 705 votes and the Students‘ Unity bloc won zero seats with only 96 votes. 

Head of the Elections Preparatory Committee and Dean of Student Affairs Mohammad Al-Ahmad said  the voting rate this year is 74.60%.  The number of null votes is 113 and empty votes is 81. The total number of votes cast was 8200.

Birzeit University president, Abdullatif Abuhijleh, congratulated the students on holding free and transparent council elections.

In a speech following the conclusion of the vote count, he said "everyone is a winner in these elections and the student council elections is not the end, but the beginning of organized team work to serve the students and everyone."

One day before the elections, a student debate between the competing blocs was held during which each bloc presented its electoral program, goals and objectives.

In the 2017 elections, the Islamic Wafaa’ Bloc won 25 seats out of 51, the Martyr Yasser Arafat Bloc won 22 seats and Student Progressive Democratic Pole  Bloc won four seats.

M.H.