Palestinian factions agree to hold elections no later than the end of 2018

 Palestinian negotiators Salah Arouri of Hamas and Azzam Ahmad of Fatah (right) during their meeting on 12 October. Background: the new local leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar. (Reuters)

Palestinian factions meeting in Cairo called on Wednesday on the Central Elections Commission to prepare for holding presidential and legislative elections in the occupied Palestinian territory as well as elections for the Palestinian National Council, the parliament in exile, no later than the end of 2018.

They authorized President Mahmoud Abbas to set the election date after consultation with national and political powers and actors.

After two days of talks in Cairo under the auspice of Egypt, the factions stressed the need for accurate implementation of the Egyptian-brokered Palestinian national reconciliation deal reached by Fatah and Hamas movements on October 12, emphasizing the need for the government to assume its full responsibilities in the Gaza Strip as stated in the reconciliation agreement.

The Palestinian factions,  have met in Cairo to discuss ways of implementing the reconciliation deal and resolve other outstanding issues, mainly elections and security, in order to end their decade-long political rift. In addition to the Fatah and Hamas movements, the Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine participated in the two-day Cairo meetings.

On the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the factions stressed the need to accelerate steps of developing and activating the PLO in accordance with the Cairo Declaration in 2005. This declaration among other thingsstipulates that the Hamas movement and the Islamic Jihad will become members of the PLO.

The factions condemned the US administration's recent decision not to renew the work permit of the PLO office in Washington; a move they described an attempt to exert pressure on the Palestinian leadership to submit the Palestinians to the US dictates, especially after leaks of a regional solution consistent with the plans of the Israeli occupation authority. The political parties rejected any transitional solutions and the so-called “state with temporary borders” and refused to recognize Israel as “Jewish state” and any other political plans that are meant to undermine the Palestinian rights.