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Palestinians Anticipate Abbas Setting Date for Elections

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Reuters file photo
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Reuters file photo
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Palestinians Anticipate Abbas Setting Date for Elections

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Reuters file photo
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Reuters file photo

Independent Palestinian political researchers and analysts predicted that President Mahmoud Abbas will set a date for upcoming legislative and presidential elections on Oct. 3.

Aref Jaffal, General Director of the Arab World Marsad for Democratic Reform and Election, told AFP that Abbas, according to intel obtained through calls with officials, will issue a presidential decree on Oct. 3 for holding elections.

The decree will be issued before Abbas meeting with representatives of Palestinian factions.

The Palestinian Central Elections Commission (CEC) revealed that it is prepared to hold polls as soon as the presidential decree is issued and confirmed that it needs 110 days to complete the first phase of elections.

CEC Director Hisham Kahil said that the commission is ready for both legislative and presidential polls, but it is waiting for Abbas’ order.

“CEC Chairman Hanna Nasser informed Abbas of the details on organizing elections, issuing the timeline, registering voters and holding electoral campaigns,” Kahil told the official Palestinian news agency.

Gaza rulers Hamas and their rivals in the occupied West Bank, Fatah, have agreed to unify Palestinian ranks and hold the first elections in nearly 15 years.

Abbas, since the start of Sept., has met with representatives and officials of Palestinian factions and informed them of all the decisions to be made by commissions assigned with ending Palestinian divisions and unifying the national stance.

For the first time in 13 years, a meeting brought together Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Ziyad al-Nakhalah and Fatah leader Abbas.

In their final statement, the conferees agreed on forming a committee of influential and trustworthy national figures whose mission is to develop, within no more than five weeks, a strategic vision to end the inter-Palestinian division and achieve political partnership.

They also agreed to establish a national committee to lead the comprehensive popular resistance against the Israeli occupation.

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Kabbashi: Sudan War Nearing End, Arms Proliferation Poses Major Threat

Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)
Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)
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Kabbashi: Sudan War Nearing End, Arms Proliferation Poses Major Threat

Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)
Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)

The war in Sudan is nearing its end, a top military official said on Saturday, warning that the widespread availability of weapons could pose one of the biggest threats to the country’s stability in the post-war period.
Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, told state governors in the temporary capital of Port Sudan that arms proliferation is a “major danger awaiting the state.”
“The areas that have been retaken must be handed over to the police for administration,” Kabbashi said, stressing that civilian policing, not military control, should take over in recaptured territories.
He also pointed to the need to redeploy troops currently stationed at checkpoints and security outposts in liberated regions. “We need these forces on other frontlines,” he said.
Kabbashi described the rise in hate speech triggered by the conflict as “unacceptable” and warned that Sudan would face deep social challenges once the fighting stops.
According to Kabbashi, the Sudanese armed forces are in a strong position after initial setbacks at the start of the war, as the military seeks to shift focus to restoring internal security and supporting civil governance in liberated areas.
“The situation of the armed forces and supporting units is more than good,” said Kabbashi. “We were in a bad place at the beginning of the war — now we are more than fine.”
Kabbashi added that army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is highly focused on ensuring public safety across the country, calling security “a top priority, ahead of all other services.”
He warned, however, that Sudan faces deeper challenges beyond the battlefield. “The plot against Sudan is bigger than the militia we’re fighting — they are only the front,” Kabbashi said, referring to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) without naming them directly.
He pointed to rising crime, widespread weapons, and looting as major security threats that emerged during the war, saying state authorities would have a significant role to play in restoring order.
Kabbashi urged state governors to back police forces in their efforts to maintain law and order, emphasizing that police support is “urgently needed” during the current transitional phase.