Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced last night that the first Palestinian national election in 15 years has been postponed until Israel allows the vote to take place in Jerusalem. The election was due to take place next month, but Abbas made the announcement after a meeting of the Palestinian factions in Ramallah.
Protesters gathered in Ramallah ahead of Abbas’s announcement, demanding that the vote be held as scheduled, Reuters reported.
Hamas slammed the move as a “coup.” But the indefinite postponement will be quietly welcomed by ‘Israel’ and Western countries, which view the resistance movement as a terrorist organization and are concerned about its growing strength. #Palestine https://t.co/eyXtN5ixiW
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) April 30, 2021
Hamas criticized the reversal and denounced the delay as a “coup”. Spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters,
“We reject this decision which violates the national consensus, and the Fatah movement bears responsibility for the consequences of this position.”
Hamas slams 'coup' after President Mahmoud Abbas delays Palestinian elections https://t.co/Ss5ribV94m pic.twitter.com/7lQCahhCdh
— CBC World News (@CBCWorldNews) April 29, 2021
The proposed legislative, National Council and presidential elections were part of a broader push for reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, seen as vital to building broad popular support for any future statehood talks with Israel. Such talks have been frozen since 2014.
The Palestinians’ last parliamentary ballot in 2006 resulted in a surprise victory for Fatah’s main rival Hamas. That created a rift that deepened when the group wrested control of Gaza from the Fatah-led PA two years after Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from the occupied territory.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
