The Palestinian factions agreed Tuesday on the general elections mechanisms after concluding talks in Cairo, confirming to abide by the timetable set in the decree on legislative and presidential polls.
Palestinians plan to hold the legislative elections on May 22 and the presidential polls on July 31, for the first time in 15 years.
Leaders of 16 rival Palestinian factions, national forces, and independent figures held on Monday the Egyptian-brokered reconciliation talks in Cairo.
In the final statement, the factions asserted that elections will be held in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip without exception, and pledged to respect and accept the polls’ results.
They agreed that the Electoral Cases Court will be formed by consensus and will include judges from Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
The factions explained that the court will be responsible for monitoring all election-related matters, including its results, and any issue arising from then.
“The Palestinian President will issue a presidential decree to form it and specify its functions based on this consensus and in accordance with the law."
The factions agreed that only uniformed Palestinian police in the West Bank and Gaza will secure the polling stations, and their presence would be in accordance with the law.
The concluding statement stressed the importance of freedom of expression, calling for the immediate release of all detainees held on the basis of their factions or for freedom of opinion.
It also called for guaranteeing the right of political and national work for all Palestinian factions in the West Bank and Gaza.
The factions agreed to end the prosecution of people for their political affiliation or opinion, "in order to provide an appropriate environment for free and fair elections."
They called on President Mahmoud Abbas to issue a binding decree and form a national monitoring committee to follow up on implementation.
All participating factions thanked Egypt for its permanent support for the Palestinian people and its efforts in sponsoring the dialogue.
Meanwhile, Egypt opened Tuesday the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza strip until further notice, a move described as an incentive for reconciliation between the main Palestinian factions.
Walid al-Awad, a member of the Palestinian People’s Party politburo, lauded Egypt for this “goodwill” gesture, saying that the reopening of the crossing shows that discussions in Cairo are making progress.
Egypt had been opening the crossing for only a few days at a time to allow stranded travelers to pass.
The crossing was opened early on Tuesday and a bus carrying Palestinians arrived in Egypt, two Egyptian sources at the crossing told Reuters.
The Palestinian embassy in Cairo said Egypt had decided to open the crossing as a result of “intensive and bilateral talks between the Palestinian and Egyptian leaderships to facilitate the passage of Palestinians to and from the Gaza Strip.”
The Central Elections Commission (CEC) arrived Tuesday in Cairo for a five-day visit, during which it reviews the preparations of the committee’s regional office in Gaza for the first stages of the electoral process.
