Jibril Rajoub
Jibril RajoubReuters

Jabril Rajoub, a member of the Fatah Central Committee, said in an interview with Voice of Palestine radio that the Fatah Central Committee had decided to appeal to all Palestinian Arab organizations and encourage them to agree to run as part of one joint list in the general parliamentary elections.

Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas' political bureau, noted in this context that Hamas' participation in the general election was not intended for takeover but for partnership.

Rishq noted that the most important principle is that decision-making will not be in the hands of a single entity, that no entity be isolated and that a national consensus government be formed.

He did not rule out the possibility of running in the elections as part of a joint list of Palestinian Arab organizations that could deal with the "occupation" and the challenges facing the Palestinian people, such as the “Deal of the Century” and the Israeli “annexation plan”.

Rishq clarified that the Hamas movement participated in the 2006 elections based on its ideological platform and not on the Oslo Accords, and that it continued its actions against Israel. The issue of security prisoners will continue to be at the top of Hamas' priorities, and this sector is important in making decisions in the Palestinian arena, he added.

Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas recently issued a decree ordering general elections in PA-assigned territories.

The decree states that legislative elections will take place on May 22. A “presidential” election will take place on July 31. It sets a deadline of August 31 for establishing the Palestinian National Council.

Abbas' term as PA chairman was meant to expire in 2009, but he has remained in office in the absence of elections.

No PA elections have taken place since 2006 and similar initiatives in the past have failed to result in elections.

Hamas and Fatah have been at odds since Hamas violently took over Gaza in a bloody coup in 2007, but the two organizations recently reached a comprehensive agreement on holding elections.