Abbas postpones municipal elections, again
Palestinian president defers local elections across PA’s cities for third time, says ‘better conditions for vote’ needed.
Abbas has overstayed his own term and is ruling the West Bank by decree. Municipal elections were initially scheduled for July 2010.
Abbas said Monday that he wanted to make sure elections take place in both Palestinian territories: “We have decided to postpone the local elections until better conditions are available… and to enable the election commission to work in all parts of the country,” he said.
Abbas gave the same reason when he announced he was postponing the elections last time, from July 9 to October. 22. In the meantime, Hamas-Fatah talks on implementing a recent reconciliation pact have stalled.