Ragheb Bey Nashashibi, retiring mayor of Jerusalem who was defeated in the municipal election of September 26, today failed in his attempt to prove he had been beaten through irregularities in voting when the Palestine Court of Appeals ruled that the election was regularly and legally conducted.
Nashashibi was defeated by Dr. Hussein Fakri El Khaldi in the contest for the municipal councillorship of one of the Arab wards. The custom has been for the High Commissioner to appoint one of the councillors as mayor. Ragheb Bey has been mayor of Jerusalem since the British occupied the city. He was regarded as having government backing and his defeat came as a shock to his followers. He immediately took the case into court, claiming irregularities in the polling. On December 10 the court held that the burden of proof was on the defeated candidate and gave him ten days in which to prove his charges.
On December 18 three of the Arab municipal councillors of Mayor Nashashibi’s outgoing administration resigned, charging that the administration was guilty of gross irregularities in the conduct of the city’s business.
Since his defeat Ragheb Bey has organized a new political party and is fighting other Arab groups for political leadership.
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