Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced that the upcoming elections will take place in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, as well as East Jerusalem, hinting that he received assurances from Israel on the participation of Jerusalem residents in the elections.
During a Fatah Revolutionary Council meeting, Abbas expressed commitment to holding the elections and assured the participation of all factions.
He stressed that it was not acceptable for an advanced country to stay without holding legislative, presidential, and national council elections for this long.
Palestinians are preparing for the first elections in 16 years. The parliamentary elections will be held in May, followed by a presidential vote, after which the voters would go to the polls once again to elect the National Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Palestinians hope that this would end the division and unite institutions in the West Bank and Gaza, following a pledge by “Fatah” and “Hamas” to participate in the parliament, government, and PLO. The promises will be tested through the election process and its outcome.
Abbas praised Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Syria, Turkey, and even Russia for supporting Palestinian reconciliation and elections.
“We will go to Cairo with our hearts open to all proposals,” Abbas said, hoping to reach a binding agreement among all Palestinian factions.
The meetings will be based on the outcomes of the secretaries-general of the Palestinian factions' meetings and the Istanbul understandings.
In this context, a source told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that some mediators are seeking a settlement before the elections because they want “Fatah” to be strong and united. However, Abbas sees that Fatah has always been strong.
