Palestinians Differ Over Holding Elections by Sep
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The Palestinian political powers had on Sunday differed over the decision of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee that was made on Saturday which called for holding parliamentary and presidential elections by September this year.
While Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party accepted the idea, Islamic Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, rejected to join. However, other left-wing factions accepted the idea, in condition that all political powers accept it and lead to an end to the current split.
The PLO executive committee, held a meeting in Ramallah on Saturday, chaired by Abbas, decided that the presidential and legislative elections will be held by September this year, in a way that prepares the atmosphere for achieving an inter Palestinian reconciliation and ending the current split.
Jamal Muheisen, a member of Fatah central committee announced that his party, which rules the West Bank, backs the PLO decision "as an alternative to the ongoing split between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank after Hamas escaped from signing on the reconciliation pact."
"The Palestinians have the right to practice their peaceful exchange of authorities by going to the polls. The situation and the political differences among the factions have been going on for a long time and Hamas movement unfortunately has been obstructing the reconciliation."
Fatah leaders stressed that "We can reach so many creative solutions for the impasse that Hamas movement has put the Palestinians in, where holding the elections is one of those solutions in order to avoid continuing to be hostages in Hamas hands to keep the split going on."
The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) had earlier announced in January last year that it intends to hold the general elections. However, it changed its mind after Hamas movement rejected the proposal and insisted that a reconciliation agreement should be first reached before holding any elections.
The Presidential and legislative elections were due in January 2009 and January 2010. But the PLO Central Council, a mini parliament, had decided to extend Abbas term and the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) or parliament, which is dominated by Hamas.
Meanwhile, other Palestinian left-wing factions backed the PLO decision to hold the elections by September, as a solution to get out of the current impasse of split between Fatah, which controls the West Bank and Hamas movement which seized control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007.
Jamil Majdalawi, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) told Xinhua that his group backs the idea of holding the elections "as a legal right for the Palestinians to practice their democracy." However, he insisted that holding the elections must be agreed upon among all factions.
Ramzi Rabah, a member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) asserted that his group "is insisting that the Palestinians should first overcome the status of split and then go to general elections that include the PLO and the Palestinian National Council (PNC).
Walid al-Awad, a member of the People's Party, said the choice of heading to the people through holding general elections and chose their representatives through the polls "is the shortest way to put an end to the feuds and differences among the Palestinian factions."
However, Salah al-Bardaweel, a senior Hamas leader told Xinhua that his movement "insists that there will be no elections before reaching a national agreement and ending the current split," adding that the PLO call for holding the elections "is illegal."
"Hamas movement has been always supporting holding fair elections based on respecting the well-being of the people, their rights and their national principles in a real democratic atmosphere," said al-Baedaweel, whose movement won the last legislative elections held in January 2006.
The less-influential Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement has also rejected the PLO call to hold the elections by September. Dawood Shihab, spokesman of the group told Xinhua that his movement " considers the call for any elections without reaching a national agreement is not acceptable and illegal."
Mustafa al-Barghouti, chairman of the National Palestinian Initiative told a news conference held in Ramallah that his group backs to end the internal split between Gaza and the West Bank first and then hold the presidential and legislative elections as well as the PNC elections.
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2011-02-14 16:46:05 |
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