Palestinian local polls postponed; no new date

Ramallah, Palestine — Palestinian municipal polls scheduled for Oct. 8 were postponed on Wednesday after a court delayed a ruling on whether to hold the first vote since 2006 to include both Fatah and Hamas. The Palestinian high court in the Fatah-led West Bank put off its ruling until Oct. 3, only five days before the scheduled date for the elections. Two weeks of campaigning are usually allotted for Palestinian elections and had been set to begin on Friday. In response, the electoral commission confirmed that the Oct. 8 date “is no longer applicable.” It set no new date. On Sept. 8, the court suspended the elections following disputes between the rival Fatah and Hamas movements over candidate lists. It had left open the possibility that they could be re-scheduled for the same date if the dispute was resolved, but Wednesday’s announcement by the electoral commission was widely anticipated. Islamist movement Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, boycotted the last Palestinian municipal elections in 2012, but it was due to participate this year. Fatah and Hamas have not contested an election since 2006 parliamentary polls, which Hamas won — sparking a conflict that led to near civil war in Gaza the following year. This year’s vote was planned with 81-year-old President Mahmoud Abbas under heavy political pressure as opinion polls have suggested most Palestinians would like him to step down. There has been no Palestinian presidential election since 2005 and Abbas has remained in office despite the expiry of his term. — AFP