Zionist Troops Arrest More Palestinian Electoral Candidates
RAMALLAH (Dispatches) – Zionist troops have continued the arresting spree of Palestinian electoral candidates, in the latest case nabbing three of them attempting to hold a news briefing in East al-Quds, Palestinian sources said.
Two of the candidates are on the list of the Fatah party led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and the third is on the list of the Palestinian Democratic Union, according to the sources.
The three candidates planned to hold a news conference to call on the international community to pressure the regime to allow the elections to be held in East al-Quds which has been occupied by the regime since 1967, the sources said.
Wassel Abu Yousef, a member of the executive committee of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), told reporters that Abbas will chair a meeting for the committee in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday to discuss the possibility of enabling the Palestinians in East al-Quds to participate in the elections.
"The PLO and the Palestinian leadership will never accept that the elections are only held in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip without East al-Quds,” he said.
In January, Palestinian President Abbas announced the 2021 general elections will include the legislative elections on May 22, the presidential elections on July 31, and the elections of the Palestinian National Council, the highest decision-making body of the PLO, on Aug. 31.
Palestinians insist that they want to hold the general elections to elect a new parliament and a new president in all Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East al-Quds.
Palestinians in East al-Quds participated in the last presidential and legislative elections held in 2005 and 2006.
Two of the candidates are on the list of the Fatah party led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and the third is on the list of the Palestinian Democratic Union, according to the sources.
The three candidates planned to hold a news conference to call on the international community to pressure the regime to allow the elections to be held in East al-Quds which has been occupied by the regime since 1967, the sources said.
Wassel Abu Yousef, a member of the executive committee of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), told reporters that Abbas will chair a meeting for the committee in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday to discuss the possibility of enabling the Palestinians in East al-Quds to participate in the elections.
"The PLO and the Palestinian leadership will never accept that the elections are only held in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip without East al-Quds,” he said.
In January, Palestinian President Abbas announced the 2021 general elections will include the legislative elections on May 22, the presidential elections on July 31, and the elections of the Palestinian National Council, the highest decision-making body of the PLO, on Aug. 31.
Palestinians insist that they want to hold the general elections to elect a new parliament and a new president in all Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East al-Quds.
Palestinians in East al-Quds participated in the last presidential and legislative elections held in 2005 and 2006.