Palestinian Authority announces general elections in May and July
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in January 2020 in Ramallah.
AP - Majdi Mohammed
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2 min
The Palestinian presidency announced this Friday, January 15, the organization of legislative and presidential elections in May and July, the first since 2005.
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The legislative elections will take place on May 22, the presidential election on July 31 and the ballot for the Palestinian National Council, an organ of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), will be held on August 31.
"
President Mahmoud Abbas has issued a decree regarding the holding of general elections in three stages,
" said a statement released by the official Wafa news agency.
The last presidential election took place in January 2005 and the last legislative elections in January 2006.
The announcement follows the meeting between Mahmoud Abbas and the chairman of the electoral commission Hanna Nasser at the presidential palace in Ramallah, the statement said.
Mahmoud Abbas
asked the commission and government bodies to "
launch a democratic electoral campaign in all the governorates of the country, including Jerusalem
", according to this source.
Fatah and Hamas agreed to hold elections
It was not immediately clear whether Israel, which has occupied and annexed East Jerusalem, a Palestinian part of the city, will allow residents of that area to vote in these elections.
The Islamist movement Hamas, rival of secular Fatah of Mahmoud Abbas, has not yet commented on the announcement.
In September 2020, Hamas and Fatah agreed to hold elections “
within six months
”.
The announcement came against a backdrop of dialogue between Palestinian factions in the hope of joining forces to counter
the normalization of relations between Israel and Gulf countries
, including the United Arab Emirates.
Mahmoud Abbas, who has repeatedly pledged elections over the past decade, did not say on Friday whether he would run for his own succession.
(With
AFP
)
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Palestinian territories
Mahmoud Abbas
Israel