The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said that it had reservations about the final statement of the Palestinian dialogue in Cairo, in which the Palestinian factions announced yesterday their agreement on mechanisms for holding the parliamentary and presidential elections, while the Islamic Jihad Movement decided not to participate in the elections to be held later this year.

The Popular Front said in a statement that its delegation participating in the Cairo dialogue had reservations about the final statement of the dialogue, "because it did not stipulate adherence to the decisions of the National and Central Councils, with the dissolution of the Oslo Agreement."

The Front's statement warned of what it described as the risks of betting on the US administration to return to negotiations with Israel.

The Palestinian factions meeting in Cairo announced that they had reached an agreement on all controversial issues related to holding the Palestinian elections according to the schedules included in the Palestinian President’s decree, according to the final statement.

Participating factions

The two-day meeting was attended by the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah), the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), and 12 other Palestinian factions, including the Jihad Movement.

The final statement of the Palestinian dialogue in Cairo affirmed ensuring the neutrality of the security services in the West Bank and Gaza and their non-interference in the elections, and taking mechanisms to ensure that elections are held in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip without exception, running for and voting, and a commitment to respect and accept their results.

The statement also stressed the need to address the results of the division on comprehensive and fair national foundations, and to agree to release all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, to stop being pursued against these backgrounds, and to guarantee the right of the factions to operate in the West Bank and Gaza.

Jihad position

For its part, Islamic Jihad said that it decided not to participate in the upcoming Palestinian elections, because its ceiling was the Oslo Agreement, "which wasted the rights and constants of the Palestinian people."

The movement clarified that it believes that the correct approach to national unity is to agree on a political program that strengthens the steadfastness of the people and protects its resistance, and rebuilding and developing the Palestine Liberation Organization, by conducting elections for the National Council, separate from the Legislative Council.

In a related context, Anadolu Agency reported that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas received a phone call yesterday evening from the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, during which he praised the results of the Cairo dialogue.

The official Palestinian News Agency stated that Haniyeh stressed that the results of the Cairo dialogue "would not have been achieved without the president's support and directives for these dialogues."

MP Jamal Al-Khudari, Chairman of the Popular Committee Against the Siege: The launch of the Palestinian National Dialogue sessions in Cairo is an important step for laying the foundations for the success of the Palestinian legislative and presidential elections and the National Council

Safa Agency (@SafaPs) February 8, 2021

Election dates

According to a previous decree by the Palestinian president, Palestinian elections are scheduled to take place in 3 stages this year, legislative on May 22, presidential on July 31, and elections to the National Council on August 31.

The last Palestinian elections for the Legislative Council were held in early 2006, and resulted in the Hamas movement winning a majority, while it was preceded by a year of presidential elections in which current President Mahmoud Abbas won.

The factions decided to hold another meeting in Cairo next March, in the presence of the Presidency of the National Council and the Central Elections Committee, to agree on the foundations and mechanisms during which the formation of the new National Council will be completed, with the aim of activating and developing the Palestine Liberation Organization, and strengthening the resistant national program.