Palestine to have first elections in 15 years, announces president Mahmoud Abbas
- Parties Fatah and Hamas have lately been engaged in unity talks, reaching an agreement in principle in September to hold elections in 2021
- There has been no indication from Fatah as to whether the 85-year-old Abbas intends to seek re-election
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Friday announced dates for the first Palestinian elections in more than 15 years, setting legislative polls for May 22 and a July 31 presidential vote.
Abbas’s Fatah party, which controls the Palestinian Authority based in the occupied West Bank, and the Hamas Islamists, who hold power in Gaza, have for years expressed interest in taking Palestinians back to the polls.
A long-standing rivalry between the two main Palestinian factions was seen as a leading factor in stalling progress towards a new vote.
But Fatah and Hamas have lately been engaged in unity talks, reaching an agreement in principle in September to hold elections in 2021.
Hamas on Friday welcomed Abbas’s announcement.
“In recent months, we have worked to overcome obstacles in order to reach this day,” it said in a statement.