UN Asks Palestinian Leadership to Appoint New Date for Legislative Elections

United Nations (UN) Coordinator for Peace Process in the Middle East Tor Winsland has urged the Palestinian leadership to appoint a  new date for the legislative elections in the Palestinian territories in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Winsland issued a statement that said he was informed about the decision of the Palestinian leadership to postpone the legislative elections which were scheduled for May 22.

He added that he understood the disappointment of many Palestinians who want to practice their democratic rights after sixteen years without elections at all.

Tor Winsland went on to say that he encourages the Palestinians to continue in a democratic way.

He stressed that it is necessary to organize transparent and comprehensive elections in all Palestinian territories including East Jerusalem according to the previous-signed treaties.

He considers those elections as a vital factor to rejuvenate the legitimacy and credibility of the national institutions and to open the way to establish the national Palestinian unity.

The UN official stressed that the legislative elections pave the road toward objective negotiations to terminate occupation and to achieve the solution of the two-state based the UN resolutions, international law, and the other treaties.

Winsland affirmed that the UN supports the national Palestinian institutions.

He considers that appointing a new date for the legislative elections in the Palestinian territories is an important step to reassure the Palestinian people that their voice is going to be heard.

He warns that a long period of uncertainty would lead to threatening the fragile situation of the Palestinian issue.

He calls all parties to maintain calm, restraint, and refrain from violence, and take steps to reduce tensions and create conditions for the resumption of the electoral process.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has announced the postponement of the Palestinian legislative elections, accusing the Israeli authorities of preventing the holding of the voting process in East Jerusalem.