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PA Supreme Court suspends Palestinian local elections

September 8, 2016 at 12:54 pm

Image of a voting registering centre in Rafah, Gaza [apaimages]

In response to a complaint filed by the Palestinian Bar Association, the Palestinian Authority (PA) Supreme Court has announced a temporary suspension of the local elections in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The decision came a few hours after the Court of First Instance in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, dropped six electoral lists for Fatah in the city due to violations by their nominees.

Earlier this week, the Palestinian Elections Commission dropped three lists for Fatah in Gaza and two others in the occupied West Bank.

Two weeks ago, a Palestinian lawyer filed a complaint to the Supreme Court against the Palestinian courts in Gaza, claiming they are illegal so that they do not have the jurisdiction to look into and take decisions regarding the complaints or appeals against any electoral lists.

Responding to the complaint, the Supreme Court, which consists of judges nominated by Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas, said it would look into the complaint.

Hamas condemned the complaint saying that that it was a means through which Fatah was undermining the elections.

Therefore, Hamas said that it is sticking to the time of the elections which was announced by PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah without any consultations with Hamas or Palestinian factions.