Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is preparing to postpone the Palestinian legislative elections set for November 28, Qatar's Al-Araby TV reported Thursday in a report carried by i24NEWS. The report noted that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad remain shut out of the vote unless they recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and adopt its political program, which includes recognition of Israel.
The report said an announcement could come before registration for electoral lists closes on Sunday. No new date has been fixed, and Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) back the delay.
The PFLP gave a firmer timeline. It told Al-Araby that it had reached agreement with Fatah and Hamas to push the vote back by a year.
Jibril Rajoub, secretary general of Fatah's central committee, said a new round of talks with Hamas is expected in Cairo shortly. Egyptian officials hosted separate Hamas and Islamic Jihad delegations on Wednesday. The coming talks are expected to deal with readiness for the vote and the terms under which the factions can take part.
He argued that a national dialogue among the main factions should come before any ballot. He also called for a presidential vote to be held first.
The Palestinian Authority has not held a legislative vote since 2006, when Hamas beat Fatah.
