CAIRO (KI) – Egyptian officials say the Palestinian Authority plans to call off its first elections in 15 years, citing the Zionist regime’s refusal to allow voting in occupied East al-Quds.
The decision effectively grants the regime a veto over the holding of elections, though President Mahmoud Abbas could also benefit from cancelling the vote, in which his fractured Fatah party is expected to lose power and influence to the Hamas resistance movement in the Gaza Strip.
An Egyptian diplomat and an intelligence official – who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door talks in Cairo – said they were briefed on the decision, which will be announced on Thursday at a meeting of Palestinian factions.
They said Egypt is in discussions with the occupying regime to reach a compromise to allow the vote, but those efforts have so far failed.
The intelligence official said Hamas wants the elections to go ahead but no faction wants to proceed without guarantees from the international community that voting will be held in occupied East al-Quds.
The official said the factions are discussing the formation of a unity government instead that would include Hamas.
The Palestinian Election Commission says 6,000 voters in East al-Quds would need to submit their ballots through the regime’s post offices in accordance with past agreements, while the other 150,000 could vote with or without the regime’s permission.
The small number of voters who require the regime’s permission are unlikely to have a decisive impact on the vote, but their participation is seen as symbolically important for maintaining Palestinian claims to East al-Quds.
The Zionist regime occupied East al-Quds, along with the West Bank and Gaza, in the 1967 war. The Palestinians want all three territories for their future state and view East al-Quds as their capital.
The regime annexed the eastern sector of the city in a move not recognized internationally.
An Egyptian diplomat and an intelligence official – who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door talks in Cairo – said they were briefed on the decision, which will be announced on Thursday at a meeting of Palestinian factions.
They said Egypt is in discussions with the occupying regime to reach a compromise to allow the vote, but those efforts have so far failed.
The intelligence official said Hamas wants the elections to go ahead but no faction wants to proceed without guarantees from the international community that voting will be held in occupied East al-Quds.
The official said the factions are discussing the formation of a unity government instead that would include Hamas.
The Palestinian Election Commission says 6,000 voters in East al-Quds would need to submit their ballots through the regime’s post offices in accordance with past agreements, while the other 150,000 could vote with or without the regime’s permission.
The small number of voters who require the regime’s permission are unlikely to have a decisive impact on the vote, but their participation is seen as symbolically important for maintaining Palestinian claims to East al-Quds.
The Zionist regime occupied East al-Quds, along with the West Bank and Gaza, in the 1967 war. The Palestinians want all three territories for their future state and view East al-Quds as their capital.
The regime annexed the eastern sector of the city in a move not recognized internationally.
No comments:
Post a Comment