Palestine: Factions Agreed on Holding Presidential Elections

Representatives of Palestinian factions agreed on Tuesday to hold elections within six months after a two-day reconciliation dialogue in Cairo, Egypt. This understanding is set to bridge a 14-year old conflict between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' ruling Fatah and the Hamas organization, which controls the Gaza Strip.

RELATED:
 Egypt Reopens Border Crossing To Gaza Strip

"National partnership is a complete path that starts with the legislative council elections, which is the first stage of the national council elections, followed by the elections for the presidency of the Palestinian Authority," the factions explained in a joint statement.

Secretary-General of the Central Committee of Fatah, Jibril Rajoub, told Chinese news agency Xinhua that all parties agreed to the elections timetable proposed last month. According to the electoral calendar, legislative elections will be held on May 22, presidential elections on July 31, and the Palestinian National Council elections on August 31.

Moreover, the official assured that the factions would form an electoral court of judges "from East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, which will exclusively monitor all issues related to the electoral process."