RAMALLAH, May 17, 2011 (WAFA) – The Palestinian government said Tuesday that municipal elections will be postponed from July 9 to October 22.

It said in a statement that it took this decision following the reconciliation reached in early May between Fatah and Hamas and to give the Central Elections Commission time to hold them in Gaza as well as in the West Bank on the same day.

The cabinet statement issued at the conclusion of its meeting said that “since the Central Elections Commission will not be ready to hold local elections in the Gaza Strip and because the law says that elections should be held in all the Palestinian territories on the same day, and in light of signing the reconciliation agreement which created a situation that would allow to hold elections in all the Palestinian territories, the cabinet decided to postpone elections planned for July 9 to October 22.”

The cabinet decided in February to hold the municipal elections on July 9 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. However, Hamas, which had control over the Gaza Strip, refused to allow the CEC to prepare for elections in Gaza limiting its activities to only the West Bank.

The reconciliation agreement allows holding presidential, legislative and municipal elections in all the Palestinian territories.

M.A.