President Mahmoud Abbas announced that the Palestinian Authority is prepared to hold presidential and parliamentary elections next year, provided that the necessary conditions are met in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.
“We are fully prepared to hold presidential and parliamentary elections next year, provided that the necessary conditions are in place in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem,” Abbas said at a meeting of Arab leaders in Cairo.
The last elections in the Palestinian territories were the parliamentary elections in January 2006. Abbas has been in office since the presidential election in 2005.