Hamas urges general elections with 'fixed calendar'

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Hamas said Wednesday it is ready for simultaneous comprehensive elections or with a 'fixed calendar' agreed upon by Palestinian groups.

The Palestinian resistance movement spokesman, Hazem Qassem, said in a news conference in Gaza that comprehensive elections include legislative and National councils elections, presidential elections and local and villages' council elections which shall be based on national consensus.

"The Palestinian Authority announcement of fragmented villages' councils elections is a contempt to the national and popular situation and a diversion from the general national path," said Qassem.

He urged civil society institutions and popular components to put pressure to hold comprehensive elections and not to allow anyone to manipulate and fragment the process.

The Palestinian government announced Sept. 6 that it would hold the first phase of municipal elections on Dec. 11 and the second in early January 2022.

Parliamentary polls were scheduled for May 22 and presidential polls July 31, while Palestinian National Council elections would have taken place Aug. 31 as announced by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in January.

But Abbas unilaterally postponed elections in April because Israel blocked voting in East Jerusalem.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara