OIC Welcomes Announcement of Presidential and Legislative Elections in Palestine

Jeddah, MINA – The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomed the decree that President Mahmoud Abbas issued setting parliamentary and presidential elections in all Palestinian territories, including eastern Al-Quds.

The decree is an important step, the General Secretariat considered, for the renewal of the legitimate national Palestinian establishment, WAFA reported.

The OIC confirmed its support for national unity initiatives, calling on the international community to assist Palestinians in the conduct of successful elections, a crucial step in the building of their own independent and sovereign state within the 1967 borders, with eastern Jerusalem as its capital, based on relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, said OIC in a statement.

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Previously, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Friday local time, the Palestinian Authority (PA) will hold legislative elections on May 22, while the presidential vote on July 31

Abbas said elections would last at least the end of this year in a bid to resolve long-running internal divisions.

“The president instructed the electoral committee and all state officials to launch a democratic electoral process in all cities in the country,” said the decree referring to the occupied West Bank, Gaza and occupied East Jerusalem, as quoted from Republika.

The statement said Abbas expected a vote in all Palestinian governorate areas, including East Jerusalem which Israel annexed after the 1967 war. Israel banned all PA activity in East Jerusalem. Israel also has not indicated there will be a Palestinian vote inside Jerusalem which it considers the “undivided capital”.(T/R3/RE1)

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)