Abbas delays parliamentary elections
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas indefinitely postponed forthcoming parliamentary elections today, giving his struggling Fatah party time to fend off a growing challenge by Hamas.
Hamas officials condemned the delay as a violation of a ceasefire agreement. But they stopped short of pulling out of the truce, despite earlier threats to do so if the election was delayed.
Abbas had hinted in recent weeks that the vote would be postponed. Announcing his decision in Ramallah, he did not give a new date for the election, which had been scheduled for July 17. He said a date would be set after discussions with the Palestinian legislature and rival political factions, such as Hamas.
The official reason for the delay was technical reasons. Abbas has been at odds with the Fatah-dominated parliament over the voting procedure.
Abbas wants all candidates chosen on national lists, while some party members believe their chances for re-election would be better in local races.
But the move appeared to be aimed at heading off the threat by Hamas, which is fielding candidates for parliament for the first time.
Tapping into voter disgruntlement over years of Fatah corruption, Hamas has captured a number of key races in recent local election and appears poised for strong gains in the legislative vote as well.
In Gaza, Hamas officials accused Abbas of stonewalling because of disorganisation within his party.
“This decision was taken unilaterally without any consultation with the Palestinian factions, and it came as a response for the conditions and the atmosphere of the Fatah movement and not for any national consideration,” said Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza.
While accusing Abbas of violating understandings of the cease-fire agreement, Abu Zuhri indicated that Hamas would continue to honour the cease-fire, saying only that Abbas’s decision “might harm the credibility of relations” with Hamas.
Abbas reached the cease-fire agreement with Israel on February 8 in an effort to end to four years of fighting. Hamas and other militant groups agreed the following month to honour the truce, in return for pledges from Abbas to give them a formal role in Palestinian decision-making. There has been a sharp drop in violence since then.
Islamic Jihad, a violent group that is boycotting the election, called for Palestinian national unity, though it too made no mention of calling off the cease-fire. “We hope this decision will not harm the process of democracy,” said the group’s top leader in Gaza, Nafez Azzam.
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