Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday he was ready to hold presidential and parliamentary elections within the year if circumstances allow, and create a vice-president position in his government. He also announced an amnesty for expelled members of his Fatah party.
Foreign backers of the Palestinian Authority have long asked for a vice president to be appointed, and the announcement could pave the way for expelled Fatah member Mohammed Dahlan to be nominated for the new position.
Speaking at an Arab League summit in Cairo that aims to counter Trump’s “Gaza Riviera” plan, Abbas added his Palestinian Authority was the only legitimate governing and military force in the Palestinian Territories.
The last Palestinian presidential election was held in January 2005, and the last legislative elections were in January 2006, before internal clashes between Hamas and Fatah froze Palestinian political life.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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