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1st LD: Palestinian court orders stop of scheduled local elections

Xinhua, September 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

A Palestinian court ruled on Thursday to stop holding local elections in the Palestinian territories scheduled for Oct. 8.

No new date has been set and the court is still waiting for a response from the Palestinian Elections Commission.

The ruling came after a special session at the Ramallah High Court based on an appeal presented by Palestinian attorney Nael Al-Hooh.

Al-Hooh told Xinhua that the court ordered the stop of elections "until it comes to a final decision regarding the motion presented to cancel elections."

"The basis of the objection is against not including East Jerusalem in the call for elections and against the status of court houses in Gaza," he said.

Since 2007, the Islamic Hamas movement has been in control of the Gaza Strip.

The attorney said that the court will later determine hearing sessions regarding the motion presented to cancel local elections, and it is currently waiting for a response from the Palestinian Elections Commission.

Palestinians were originally scheduled to cast their ballots on Oct. 8 to elect local governing bodies such as municipal, village or town councils. Endit