Mahmoud Abbas Palestinian Authority President issued on Friday evening a presidential decree regarding holding general elections in three stages.
According to the decree the legislative elections will be held on 22/5/2021 and presidential elections on 31/7/2021. The results of the Legislative Council elections are the first stage in the formation of the Palestinian National Council.
The National Council will be completed on 31/8/2021 in accordance with the Basic Law of the Palestine Liberation Organization and national understandings.
This announcement came after Abbas met the head of the Central Elections Committee Hanna Nasir at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah.
Abbas directed the Election Commission to start launching a democratic election campaign in all provinces of the country including Occupied Jerusalem and to initiate a national dialogue focusing on the mechanisms of this process.
For its part Hamas Movement welcomed the issuance of presidential decrees regarding the general elections the National Council the Legislative Council and the Presidency.
In a statement on Friday evening the Movement affirmed its keenness to ensure success of the election process in the interest of the Palestinian people who have the absolute right to choose their leaders and their representatives.
Hamas stressed the importance of preparing the environment for free and fair elections in which the voter expresses his will without pressures or restrictions.
“We need to proceed without hesitation in completing the entire electoral process leading to rebuilding the Palestinian political system and drawing a comprehensive national strategy to confront the Zionist occupation” Hamas underlined.
For his part the speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Aziz Dweik welcomed the issuance of Abbas’s election decree which he considered a positive step.
Dweik said in a press statement “We want transparent elections and guarantees that the occupation will not intervene to influence the elections.”
He underlined that lifting the restrictions on the Gaza Strip is a basis for progress towards finding a national solution at the national level
