Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (C) heads a meeting with Hana Nasser (L), chairman of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission (PCEC), in the West Bank city of Ramallah, June 16, 2019. Abbas said on Sunday that he is fully ready to call for holding the legislative elections and then the presidential elections in the Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem. (Xinhua/Office of the Presidency)
RAMALLAH, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday that he is fully ready to call for holding the legislative elections and then the presidential elections in the Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem.
Abbas' remarks came in a meeting with Hana Nasser, chairman of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission (PCEC), in the city of Ramallah, according to the Palestinian state-run news agency WAFA.
Abbas addressed a letter to Nasser a few days ago, asking for the readiness of the PCEC to hold the parliamentary elections in the Palestinian territories, WAFA said.
Nasser said after meeting with Abbas that his commission is ready to ease all obstacles that might face holding the elections and is ready to make it successful, according to the report.
Abbas has held three meetings with the PCEC since his declaration in Dec. 22 last year that the Palestinian Constitutional Court decided to dissolve the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and called for holding legislative elections within six months.
The PLC has been inoperative since the start of the Palestinian internal division in 2007 when Hamas had violently seized control of the Gaza Strip and routed the security forces of president Abbas.
The last parliamentary elections were held in the Palestinian territories in Jan. 2006, when Hamas ousted Abbas' Fatah party and won a majority in the PLC. However, the world refused to recognize the results of the elections.
