PA announces it will hold elections in July
THE Palestinian Authority announced Tuesday that it would be holding elections in local municipalities in the West Bank and Gaza on July 9.
The most recent municipal elections held by the Palestinians took place in 2005, when Hamas succeeded in overtaking a number of cities in the West Bank. This success would lead to its victory in the parliamentary elections a year later.
The Palestinian Authority has been trying to set a date for the elections for some time, but it appears that the uprising in Egypt has made leaders wary of similar occurrences in the West Bank. Last week, as riots peaked in Cairo, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad announced elections would be held as soon as possible.
However Hamas has already decided to boycott the vote. “These elections are legally invalid and the authority and the Palestinian government in the West Bank have lost the citizens’ support,” Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said. “We will not be a part of this farce, we will not be a part of its consequences.”
Hamas announced last week it would object to elections until a truce could be declared between Gaza and Ramallah.
The group had more criticism for the Palestinian government, saying it was trying to divert attention from the publication of secret documents regarding peace talks with Israel. “The Palestinian Authority’s decision to declare elections at this time is not a coincidence,” Hamas said in a statement.
The Palestinian government has refrained from responding to Hamas’s accusations, but announced that if it refused to take part in the elections they would be held solely in the West Bank.
Though Hamas’s boycott may make matters easier for Fatah candidates, leaders fear the turnout will be especially low due to public lack of interest.
YNETNEWS.COM
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