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Hamas slams municipal elections in West Bank only

26 July 2012 01:11 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Islamic Hamas Movement on Wednesday slammed the Palestinian decision to hold the municipal elections in the West Bank only, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Salah al-Bardaweel, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza, said in a press statement that the decision of holding the municipal elections in the West Bank only "contradicts with the provisions of reconciliation understanding."

He added that according to the reached understandings, the municipal elections have to be held together with the presidential and the legislative in all the Palestinian territories, which include the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The Hamas leader said that holding the municipal elections in the West Bank only and excluding the Gaza Strip means that it is just an internal municipal elections for Fatah party of President Abbas."

"Holding the elections, municipal, presidential, legislative and for Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) must be held as one package in all the Palestinian territories," said al-Bardaweel.

He added that Fatah wants to control the municipalities in the West bank and wanted to modify the image of the Palestinian Authority "which practices repression of freedoms and practices security cooperation with Israel."

Hamas called on Abbas to implement the reconciliation understandings "because it is the shortest way to unify the Palestinian people and unite its energy to confront the Israeli occupation."

Abbas told independent Palestinian figures on Tuesday that he hopes the municipal elections will be also held in the Gaza Strip away from violence and repression of freedoms.

The municipal elections haven’t been held in the Palestinian territories since 2005, where there are 109 municipal councils in the West Bank and 25 municipal councils in the Gaza Strip.