RAMALLAH, October 4, 2016 (WAFA) - The Central Elections Commission (CEC) welcomed on Tuesday the cabinet decision to postpone local elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The CEC recommended on Monday postponing elections by six months after the Supreme Court ruled to hold them in only the West Bank but not Gaza.
Elections in 416 local and municipal councils were originally scheduled for October 8 before the Supreme Court ruled on September 10 to suspend them due to conflict over relevance of Gaza courts in sorting disputes that may arise over elections.
The CEC said the postponement will “protect the country’s unity,” because holding them in the West Bank only “would have deepened the division in the country and negatively affected the public interest of the Palestinian people.”
The CEC also said it hopes to proceed with the electoral procedure soon and to include the entire Palestinian territories in one day.
M.A.
