RAMALLAH, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinians are making great efforts, in coordination with Arab and other countries, to exert pressure on Israel to allow holding Palestinian elections in East Jerusalem, Palestinian officials said Tuesday.
Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammad Ishtaye called for international pressure on Israel to ensure holding the Palestinian elections in East Jerusalem, which is part of the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in 1967.
The Palestinians hope to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, but Israel has claimed the whole city of Jerusalem as its indivisible eternal capital.
Ishtaye revealed that all internal Palestinian obstacles have been overcome by the Palestinian factions and political powers on holding the elections, adding that the only obstacle that remains is to hold the elections in East Jerusalem.
"We cannot accept any situation that prohibits us from holding the elections in Jerusalem which is equal to any Palestinian city or governorate," said Ishtaye during a meeting with Stephanie Al-Qaq, director of the Middle East and North Africa Department at the British Foreign Office.
Ishtaye reiterated that holding the Palestinian elections in East Jerusalem "is a national and political priority."
Saleh Rafat, a member of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, said the Palestinian leadership is holding contacts with the European Union which contacted Israel to ask for its agreement to hold the Palestinian elections in East Jerusalem.
"Holding elections in the Holy City is a guaranteed right for Palestine," Rafat told Voice of Palestine radio, noting that the agreements which the PA signed with Israel allow all Palestinian institutions to work inside the city.
Besides the contacts with the European Union, the Palestinian leadership has also contacted countries like Russia, Jordan and Egypt, asking them to push Israel to gree "to let the Palestinians hold their elections in the occupied eastern part of Jerusalem."
Rafat said it is time for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to issue a presidential decree that sets a date for holding the Palestinian parliamentary elections.
The last parliamentary elections were held in the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, in January 2006 when Islamic Hamas movement won an overwhelming majority.
The Palestinians are deeply concerned that Israel would prohibit them from holding the elections in East Jerusalem this time.
Mahmoud al-Aloul, Abbas' deputy in the Fatah party, said that all Palestinian factions have announced their support for holding the elections in accordance with the decision by Abbas.
He also said that "the major remaining challenge for holding the elections is to hold it in East Jerusalem."
"Fatah movement considers East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state and it is impossible to hold the elections without it," said al-Aloul.
Meanwhile, Hussein Al-Shaikh, Palestinian minister of civil affairs in charge of liaison with Israel, said that the PA has sent an official request to Israel, asking it to allow Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem to take part in the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.
He said in a tweet that the request came in line with the signed agreements between the PLO and Israel, noting that Palestinian elections were permitted in the 1996 and 2006 elections.
"We are waiting for Israel's response to our request, which comes in line with the decision of President Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) to hold elections," Al-Shaikh said.
