The longawaited Municipal Corporations Ordinance was promugated here today by the Palestine government. The new ordinance, in accordance with a previous statement made by High Commissioner Sir Arthur Grenfell Wauchope, is regarded as the first step in the establishment of self-government in Palestine, and the forerunner of a legislative assembly.
The ordinance, which explains in detail the procedure to be followed in municipal elections, provides for the establishment of twenty-three municipaleities in Palestine. In twenty-two of them, including Jerusalem, Haifa and Jaffa, only male Palestinian citizens over twenty-five will be entitled to vote, and only those over thirty years of age will be eligible to hold office.
In the city of Tel Aviv, all residents of twelve months standing, no matter whether they are Palestine citizens or not, both men and women over twenty-one years of age, will be eligible to vote. All voters over twenty-five years will be entitled to hold office.
The mayors of the twenty-three municipalities will be appointed by the High Commissioner from the elected councillors, but in Jerusalem and Haifa, they will have the power of appointing two councillors in addition to those chosen by the electorate.
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