Palestinians to miss out on vote next year

Argentina News.Net
Thursday 19th November, 2009

Palestinian elections, which had been scheduled to take place next year, have been postponed due to the divisions between rival Palestinian factions.

The Islamic militant group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, has refused to cooperate and has forced the postponement.

Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, which controls the West Bank,
had ordered the Central Election Commission to conduct national elections in January and had made made contact with Hamas in Gaza.

But Hamas would not allow the elections to take place in Gaza.

The Central Election Commission said elections would need to be held in all parts of the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem to be valid.

Hamas has claimed the postponement is the right decision in an atmosphere which is not a positive one for the vote.

Hamas ousted President Abbas and his Fatah forces from Gaza during the Palestinian civil war two years ago and does not recognize his rule in the West Bank.

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