RAMALLAH, October 20, 2012 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas cast Saturday his vote at a polling station in al-Bireh, describing the process as “a day of democracy for the Palestinian people.”

Prime Minister Salam Fayyad also cast his vote in his hometown of Deir al-Ghussoun, near Tulkarm in the north of the West Bank, where he also described the elections as “an important process to win the battle of building democracy on the road to winning the battle of national liberation.”

Over 300 polling stations opened early Saturday throughout the West Bank cities, towns and villages where people started to elect the list that will represent them in the municipalities.

No elections will be held in the Gaza Strip as Hamas, which rules it since 2007, refused to allow them to take place there.

Abbas expressed hope that elections will also be held in the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, which is under Israeli occupation, and that there will also be presidential and legislative elections in the near future.

The last round of municipal elections was held in December 2005, while the last presidential election was held in January 2006 and last legislative election in March 2006. Elections should have been held every four years, but because of the division between the West Bank and Gaza Strip they have been delayed for several years.

Fayyad criticized Hamas decision not to allow elections in Gaza saying that instead of Hamas claiming that local elections in the West Bank would only increase the division, banning it in Gaza “hampers the right of people to practice democracy and to choose their representatives.”

Over 500,000 eligible voters are expected to cast their vote in the local elections, which are supposed to end at 7:00 in the evening, after which the count will start.

Central Election Commission officials said preliminary results will be announced on Sunday but that final official results will be announced after 72 hours.

M.S.