Al-Akhbar newspaper reports that Hamas fears that the PA chairman will work to postpone the election after his return from Germany • The apparent reason: the question of voting in Jerusalem
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas // Photo: AFP
Palestinian factions, led by Hamas, fear that after the return of Palestinian Authority Chairman Abu Mazen from Germany, he wants to postpone or even cancel the general election, the Lebanese Al-Akhbar reports.
According to the report, Abu Mazen's meeting with the PLO Executive Committee, which was supposed to deal with the election situation and Hamas' chances of winning, was postponed. On the other hand, a senior Fatah official who insists on holding elections at all costs is Jibril Rajoub.
A major issue that remains, even if the elections do take place in the end, is their existence in East Jerusalem.
According to a report in al-Akhbar, Israel made several arrests of senior Fatah members, which prevented a coordination meeting at the Ambassador Hotel in Sheikh Jarrah. "Israel interferes with Palestinian democracy," the Foreign Ministry in Ramallah claimed. Of Israel regarding the holding of elections in Jerusalem as well. "
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki announced that the Palestinian Authority is considering applying to the Security Council to issue a permit to hold elections in East Jerusalem as well.
