The Palestinian authorities have requested Israel to allow Palestinian citizens residing in East Jerusalem to participate in the upcoming general and presidential elections, Hussein Al Sheikh, the head of the Palestinian Authority's General Authority of Civil Affairs and Member of the Fatah Central Committee, said on Tuesday
GAZA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th December, 2019) The Palestinian authorities have requested Israel to allow Palestinian citizens residing in East Jerusalem to participate in the upcoming general and presidential elections, Hussein Al Sheikh, the head of the Palestinian Authority's General Authority of Civil Affairs and Member of the Fatah Central Committee, said on Tuesday.On Monday, Hanna Nasser, the chairman of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission, said that all Palestinian parties had agreed to President Mahmoud Abbas' offer to hold general and presidential elections.
"We have officially requested the Israeli gov't to allow the Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem to participate in the upcoming Presidential and Legislative Elections, in accordance with the agreements signed between PLO & Israel in the years 1996 & 2006 and in line with President Mahmoud Abbas' decision to hold the elections. We currently await Israel's official response," Al Sheikh tweeted.
Abbas should issue a decree on holding elections following Israel's decision on voting in Jerusalem.
The Palestinian authorities plan to hold a general election first, and a presidential one immediately after.�
According to the 1947 United Nations Resolution 181, which initiated the partition of Palestine between the Jewish and Arab states, Jerusalem was to become a separate entity governed by a special international regime. However, Israel and Jordan took control over the city's western and eastern parts. Following the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel achieved complete control over the city. In 1980, Israel passed a law recognizing Jerusalem as its capital, prompting negative reactions in the Arab world and among many members of the international community. In 2017, US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
