The Palestinian Authority has denied that the European Union (EU) threatened to cut aid if the PA cancelled the elections.
Member of the Central Committee of Fatah Hussein Al-Sheikh said, "The Palestinian elections are a Palestinian decision par excellence, and stem from Palestinian national interests, to strengthen the democratic approach with the participation of all Palestinians to enshrine the legitimacy of the fund."
"All the European and other threats are rumored, unfounded, and intentional disturbances,” he added.
Israel's official broadcaster Kan said that European officials had sent a message to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stating that if the parliamentary elections scheduled for May were cancelled, Europe's support for the authority, estimated at €350 million would be cut or reduced.
According to the channel, officials and diplomats said, "The situation in which the European Union and European countries continue to pump millions into the PA without a democratic and reform process, cannot continue.”
Later on, the EU denied reports that it had threatened to reduce aid provided to the Authority if it doesn't hold elections.
"We were surprised by what was reported in some media outlets. There was no comment or statement from the EU on this subject," said the European Union spokesman in Palestine, Shadi Othman.
Elections are scheduled to take place in three phases - legislative on May 22, presidential on July 31 and National Assembly on August 31.
