Qalandiya, Ar-Ram, Saturday, 25.12.04, PM,Norah O., Roni H. (reporting), guest: Wolfgang F.The 25.12.04 is the day, when the official election campaign for the Presidential election at the Palestinian Authority was supposed to start. We inquired about the election procedures at Ar-Ram and at Qalandiya and heard that the checkpoint commanders have not received any information or orders for special arrangements concerning the forthcoming elections.Qalandiya 15:00 a cold and rainy afternoon. The humanitarian line is activated (women and children have to stand in the rain), although there were very few people crossing south. We ask the soldiers why they do not encourage the women to wait under the roof of the regular lanes, which were very fast at this hour. The answer: "we have our orders and only the high command can change them." (!!!) Young men from other Cantons are sent back.All of a sudden three soldiers from the border police appear and check randomly on a computer the ID's of young men who are going north. After several minutes of disturbing the routine and causing anxiety and insecurity among the men, they disappear. There are very few street vendors at the Qalandiya roundabout. Our friend H. stands right under the controll tower and sells bananas. The soldier from above shouts to him "get lost". We stay and wait. After several minutes the soldier shouts again and H. hurries to move his cart to the other end of the square. He has very bad memories from the day, when his cart was overturned by the soldiers!18:00 Ar-RamWe heard from a friend that the checkpoint, which is supposed to operate 24 hours, is closed from midnight on for the passage of cars. We ask the soldiers and they comfirm this. The platoon officer decides about this procedure, they tell us, and the present one has decided to close down the checkpoint for car traffic from midnight on. Pedestrians can pass. The soldiers do not feel like getting out of their hut at night and so they put spikes across the road. A case for complaint!