Hamas calls on PA to stop manipulating general election issue

Hamas said the Palestinian Authority is manipulating the general election and lacks seriousness in dealing with this national path.

Spokesman Hazem Qasim said in a statement to Safa news agency: “Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas talks about holding general elections without taking any practical step which confirms that the PA’s leadership is still manipulating the elections issue and lacks seriousness in dealing with this national path.”

“The PA leadership must stop being elusive regarding the elections issue and take the required steps by issuing a decree to hold the general elections, and start a collective national movement to extract the right of our people in Jerusalem to participate in the electoral process in all its stages,” Qasim added.

Member of Fatah’s Central Committee, Azzam Al-Ahmad, recently said that “it is difficult to hold Palestinian local elections during this period”, explaining that the Israeli elections are due to be held in March, and Palestinians must await their results.

The Palestinian Authority has repeatedly warned that if Israel does not allow Palestinian elections to be held in East Jerusalem no polls will be held at all.

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