RAMALLAH, 12 October, 2020, (TON): Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said that the Palestinian government is ready to hold “free and democratic” general elections immediately as presidential decree was issued on the matter. During the celebrations of olive harvest season in Ramallah Ishtaye said "We will go to a national celebration when we hold our democratic elections in order to restore our national institution. All the Palestinians will meet under our parliament in true national unity, as it was in the past, under the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in order to establish the Palestinian state on the ground".

He added that a ministerial delegation is going to travel to Cairo to discuss economic cooperation.

Shtayyeh also thanked Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Algeria and Qatar for their continous support for the Palestinian people and the $50 million support provided by Al-Aqsa and Al-Quds Funds during its 76th annual meeting held on Sunday in Jeddah, to execute development projects in Palestine.

Initially general elections in Palestine were scheduled to be held in 2014 in accordance with the Fatah-Hamas Gaza Agreement signed in the same year but were then delayed indefinitely. In October 2017, Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation deal in which Hamas agreed to dissolve the unity government in Gaza and hold general elections by the end of 2018, but the elections again were not held.

Now Palestine’s general elections are scheduled to be held in 2021 between February and March. The present efforts to unify Palestinians and to hold elections will significantly increase credibility and legitimacy of Palestinian leadership.