Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday postponed planned parliamentary elections amid a dispute over voting in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem and splits in his Fatah party. Abbas, 85, blamed Israel for uncertainty about whether it would allow the legislative elections to proceed in Jerusalem as well as in the occupied West…
HAMAS reacted angrily today after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas postponed next month’s parliamentary election, which would have been the first national poll for more than a decade.
He blamed the delay on uncertainty over whether Israel would allow voting to take place in Jerusalem as well as the occupied West Bank.
“Facing this difficult situation, we decided to postpone the date of holding legislative elections until the participation of Jerusalem and its people is guaranteed,” Mr Abbas said on Palestinian television.
Hamas, which controls the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip, was expected to make gains in the poll, the first since 2006.
Israel removed the Jerusalem roadblocks and Hamas quelled the Gaza tensions. Even Abbas' move to postpone Palestinian election is unlikely to lead to a confrontation, but the calm may not last long
Palestineâs Abbas announces election delay as voting canât go ahead in East Jerusalem
Earlier on Thursday, the leader said that elections in East Jerusalem are not a technical issue but a political one of primary importance
CAIRO, April 30. /TASS/. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has announced on Friday that the Palestinian general elections will be postponed until it is guaranteed that East Jerusalem residents can take part in them, he declared the decision following a meeting with Palestinian factions in Ramallah, Sky News Arabia reports. The elections should cover all Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem. Therefore, they are delayed until voting can be guaranteed there, he said. Meetings aimed at ending the [inter-Palestinian] split will continue, we will work on forming a government of national unity which will adhere to all international decisions.