A Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip said the moment still has not published an official statement regarding the election in Jenin.
By ADAM RASGONUpdated: AUGUST 25, 2016 08:37Hamas leaders (top) join hands as they take part in a rally marking the 28th anniversary of Hamas' founding(photo credit: REUTERS)
Hamas will not participate in the vote in the Jenin Governorate during the Palestinian Authority local election set for October 8, a party official said.The official, who spoke to a Palestinian news site Tuesday on condition of anonymity, said Hamas decided not to field lists nor back independent lists in the area, one of 16 governorates in the PA.“Despite our belief and conviction in the necessity of holding local elections and our preparedness to participate in them in accordance with the general decision of the movement, we decided that we will not participate in the [Jenin] Governorate,” the official said.The Hamas official added that his movement made the decision because of the “conditions” in the governorate. “The decision was made because the groundwork and conditions are not ready for participating in the local election in the Jenin Governorate.”On Wednesday, another official closely affiliated to Hamas in Jenin confirmed the decision to The Jerusalem Post, but was unable to elaborate on the exact circumstances behind it.“Hamas will not participate in the local election in Jenin by fielding a Hamas list or backing an independent list, but it will also not call on its supporters to boycott the election,” he said. “Hamas will leave it up to its supporters to choose which list they want to back.”A Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip said the moment still has not published an official statement regarding the election in Jenin.Hamas and Fatah are both carrying out campaigns in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip ahead of the municipal election. Electoral lists, party-affiliated or independent, must be registered by 4 p.m. on Thursday.