Palestinian Authority to hold local elections

The Associated Press
Updated: 1:38 p.m. ET May 10, 2004RAMALLAH, West Bank - The Palestinian Authority decided Monday to hold its first-ever municipal elections and appealed for international help in setting a date for general elections, in an attempt to restore the legitimacy of Palestinian leaders.


The local elections will be held in stages, with the first voting to take place in the West Bank town of Jericho by the end of August, followed by elections in Gaza Strip municipalities, Local Affairs Minister Jamal Shobaki said.

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Qureia said he would ask the so-called quartet of mediators — the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union — to come up with a date for general elections, apparently as a way of prodding Israel to withdraw troops and remove roadblocks. Qureia is to meet next week in Berlin with U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

The push for new elections was an effort to counter Israel’s claim that it has no Palestinian negotiating partner. With peace efforts stalled, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is pushing for a unilateral withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank, a plan that irked Palestinian officials, who watched the fate of their people being decided without their input.

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more: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4945820/