Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday that general elections in the country will be held as soon as the Hamas movement gives its consent and irrespective of the Israeli position on the matter
RAMALLAH (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2019) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday that general elections in the country will be held as soon as the Hamas movement gives its consent and irrespective of the Israeli position on the matter.During the 74th UN General Assembly, Abbas expressed his intention to hold a democratic election in all Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip, which has been controlled by Hamas for the past 12 years. The date for the election has not been set yet.
"The elections will be held if Hamas gives its consent. After that, we will conduct appropriate contacts with the Israelis, but we strive to decide on general and then presidential elections as soon as possible regardless of Israel's position. We know that the whole world is on our side, we heard it on the sidelines of the United Nations, in Europe, in Moscow, which expressed to us full support and readiness to send observers," Abbas said in an interview to Russian reporters.
According to Abbas, the Palestinian National Authority is actively contacting with the Hamas leadership on the issue of the upcoming elections, while new meetings between the parties will take place in the near future.
General elections in Palestine were expected in 2014 and 2018 but failed both times due to the row between Hamas and the Fatah movement, which is governing the West Bank.
