RAMALLAH, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas insists on holding the legislative and presidential elections in Palestinian territories as soon as possible, but not at any price, a senior Palestinian official said Saturday.
Nabil Abu Rdeineh, spokesman of the Palestinian presidency, said in an official statement that Abbas and the Palestinian leadership "believe that holding the elections is necessary and important."
However, he stressed that "the elections mustn't be held on the expense of Jerusalem, its holy and Arab characteristic and identity, which lives in the heart of every Arab and every Palestinian."
Abu Rdeineh also said that Abbas' announcement at the United Nations in September that elections will be held in Palestine was made "to express the Palestinian seriousness to hold free and transparent elections."
The senior official added that now it is the time for "the international community to pressure on Israel to accept holding the elections in East Jerusalem."
