Middle East Monitor / October 6, 2020
The Islamic Resistance Movement — Hamas — has revealed that it has agreed with Fatah and other Palestinian factions to hold elections across the occupied Palestinian territories in order to rearrange the institutions under the PLO umbrella as the sole representative of the people.
“There are duties that we must carry out in order to unite the Palestinian institutions and give a real hope for the Palestinians,” Hamas Political Bureau member Hussam Badran told Palestine Voice. He stressed that the Palestinians alone will choose their leadership and political programme.
According to Badran, the meetings between Hamas and Fatah are not a substitute for meetings with other Palestinian factions. He pointed out that Hamas has contacted the other factions at home and abroad regarding all Palestinian issues.
There are, of course, challenges to holding free and fair elections under occupation. “We are facing the occupation which threatens the electoral process mainly in Jerusalem,” explained Badran. “The occupation might place checkpoints and carry out detention campaigns, but our unity will undermine all conspiracies.”
