Amid the Ra’am-gate scandal and suspicions that fuel vouchers were distributed to voters on election day for the 26th Knesset, Rahat Mayor Talal al-Qrinawi addressed the controversy Thursday, claiming that handing out fuel vouchers to transport voters to polling stations is nothing new.
In an interview with Meshi and Gadlovitz on Kol Barama radio, al-Qrinawi was asked about the suspected fuel voucher distribution and responded: “Don’t look for small things. All the parties handed out fuel vouchers in the past to get people to the polls.”
The mayor went on to clarify that he doesn’t know who was behind the voucher distribution in the latest election, but presented financing transportation costs to polling stations as part of parties’ activities.
“I don’t know who distributed them this time. Parties budget expenses. What do you think party funding is for?” he said.
Al-Qrinawi’s comments come against the backdrop of suspicions that emerged after the election regarding the distribution of vouchers and benefits to voters in Arab society, and questions surrounding the source of funding and the parties behind the distribution.
In a recording from a polling station in the Negev town of Hura that was exposed as part of the scandal, a man can be heard describing voucher distribution to voters. “How did all these people come? Because they got vouchers. Everyone who was here got vouchers, I saw it,” the speaker said.
Later in the same conversation, the speaker was asked whether Ra’am distributed the fuel vouchers, and replied: “Ra’am, Hadash-Ta’al. I distributed them. Yesterday I distributed them. I handed them out to people, I offered them to people at home.”