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Palestinian elections commission says Oct. 8 balloting date "no longer applicable"

Xinhua, September 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Palestinian Central Elections Commission (CEC) said Wednesday that the Oct. 8 cabinet-chosen elections date is "no longer applicable."

The CEC decision followed a ruling by the Palestinian Supreme Court early September that the elections be postponed pending a reviewing scheduled for Oct. 3.

"The CEC announces that the legal elections entitlements according to the published legal elections timeline are no longer valid," the CEC said in a statement. "The date of elections specified by the Cabinet on 8 October 2016 is no longer applicable."

The Supreme Court ruled on Sept. 8 that all election-related activities should be halted, after an attorny pleaded that the elections should not proceed because of the inability to conduct balloting in occupied East Jerusalem.

Members from the Leftist Democratic Coalition (LDC) criticized the Supreme Court decision, saying a special arrangement for the Palestinian-run governing body in Jerusalem would be established, followed by elections in 28 localities administratively linked to Jerusalem.

In addition, the LDC warned that events leading to the postponement of the elections would eventually weaken local governing bodies and inhibit citizens from choosing their representatives.

The last Palestinian local elections were held in 2013, but only in the West Bank, which is ruled by Fatah; it was boycotted by the Islamic Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip.

The last time the Hamas movement participated in local elections was in 2004-2005 in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

The Gaza Strip has been run by Hamas since 2007, after it violently seized control of it, following weeks of intense confrontation with forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah party.

Thus far, efforts have failed to end the feud between the rivals. Endit