RAMALLAH, Palestine

Registration opened on Sunday for the first stage of Palestinian local elections on Dec. 11 in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian election commission.

In a statement, the commission said registration for the polls will continue for five days until Oct. 7.

The commission said there are 2.54 million Palestinians eligible to cast ballot in the local elections.

Last month, the Palestinian government decided to hold the local elections on two stages on Dec. 11 and March 26 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The first phase of the polls will be held in the West Bank only and is boycotted by Palestinian group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian parliamentary polls were scheduled for May 22 and presidential polls for July 31, but Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas postponed the vote, citing Israel’s refusal to allow elections in East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara