Palestinian High Court Orders Postpone Of Municipal Elections

Palestinian high court has ordered the scheduled municipal elections for next month to be postponed as dispute between the rival political parties have widened up. Critics see this as another setback to democracy.

Legal challenge was earlier filed on behalf of those Palestinians who are living in East Jerusalem. They are not allowed to vote and hence have asked the court to intervene.

According to Israel, the East Jerusalem is considered to be their territory and hence ballot boxes won’t be permitted. On the other hand the Palestinians consider the area to be theirs and it would be served as their capital in a future Palestinian state.

The election scheduled to be held on October 8 was for leaders to fill 3,818 seats on 416 municipal councils across Gaza Strip and West Bank. For about a decade elections have not been conducted in the area as militant Islamist movement Hamas ruled the Gaza Strip and its rival had control of West Bank.

The West Bank though had municipal elections in 2012 but it was not successful as many cities and villages didn’t take part in it.

Meanwhile, spokesperson of Hamas said the decision of court is politically motivated.