Leaders of Palestinian factions and national forces said on Sunday that the decision of the president of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas to hold local elections in the West Bank only and exclude the Gaza Strip squandered a “historic opportunity” to end the internal division.
This came during a workshop organized by the Palestinian al-Ahrar Movement entitled: “The political dimensions and risks of holding municipal elections without national consensus”.
The Palestinian leaders called during the workshop for preparing the ground politically legally and socially and providing the necessary security environment before holding the municipal elections. They also called for more work to unify the Palestinian priorities.
For his part the leader of the Palestinian al-Ahrar Movement Yasser Khalaf said that holding elections in the West Bank without the Gaza Strip will bring more pain to the people in Gaza.
Khalaf affirmed that conditions are not opportune in the West Bank for holding elections following the violation of the Palestinian law and the harassment of ex-prisoners students and members of various factions.
Both the Hamas leader Ismail Radwan and Nael Abu Ouda the leader of al-Mujahideen movement said that the decision issued by Abbas and Rami Hamdallah the premier of the Ramallah government will entrench the Palestinian internal division.
Radwan added that holding elections in the West Bank only in this difficult stage of the Palestinian cause including the settlement activity the Judaization of Jerusalem and the blockade imposed on Gaza will add insult to injury.
He stressed the need to abide by the Palestinian agreements warning of the unilateral mentality that does not believe in national partnership.
Ahmad al-Modallal the leader of the Islamic Jihad emphasized that his movement was surprised by Abbas’s decision pointing out that the current Palestinian situation is not well-prepared for such elections.
Osama al-Haj Ahmad a leader with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine described the decision as “dangerous” yet he said his movement decided to participate in the elections in an attempt to back the Palestinian dialogue.
Haj Ahmad called for rescinding the Oslo Agreement and ending all negotiations with Israel.
