UK, October 14: The foreign ministers of the UK, Australia, Canada and France have criticized the Palestinian president's decision to postpone what would have been the first Palestinian elections in nearly 20 years. The ministers released a joint statement saying they "deeply regret" Mahmoud Abbas's move to push back the Palestinian Legislative Council elections and presidential elections to September 2027. They wrote: "An entire generation of Palestinians has reached adulthood without the opportunity to choose their elected representatives. "This delay will be deeply disappointing and once again deprive Palestinians of the opportunity to vote and will further erode public confidence in democratic institutions." Abbas last week issued a decree postponing the Legislative Council elections, originally scheduled for next month, by almost a year and combining them with a presidential vote, according to the local news agency. His Fatah party dominates the internationally backed Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and has seen its popularity dwindle amid growing allegations of corruption.
Source: Qatar Tribune
