Hamas is very keen on holding local elections, Executive Director of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission (CEC), Dr. Hisham Kuhail, said.
Speaking following a meeting with Hamas leadership represented by the group’s chief, Khaled Mishaal, Hisham Kuhail discussed the implications of a decision by the Palestinian High Court of Justice to suspend local elections, which were scheduled for October 8th.
The meeting also discussed the various possibilities of the court’s decision and implications on the electoral process. The CEC expressed hope for the electoral process to be resumed as soon as possible.
On Friday, Head of Hamas’s political bureau Khaled Mishaal met with a delegation from the Central Election Commission in the Qatari capital, Doha, and discussed with them the higher court’s recent decision to halt the Palestinian municipal elections. The delegation was led by head of the commission Hanna Naser and executive director of the commission Hisham Kaheel. During the meeting, the delegation provided clarifications on the court’s decision to freeze the elections, which were slated to take place next October, according to a press release issued by Hamas on Saturday.
The delegation also reiterated the election commission’s position on the need to abide by the court’s verdict and voiced hope that the elections could be held as soon as possible. For its part, the Hamas leadership stressed the importance of holding the elections as scheduled to serve the Palestinian people’s interests and to create the atmosphere for the national reconciliation. It also expressed the Movement’s appreciation for the efforts that had been made by the election commission for the success of the electoral process in the Palestinian arena.
