Palestinians took another step in preparations for their first parliamentary election in 15 years on Saturday, opening registration offices to admit the political parties and independent candidates that will take part.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The May 22 election in Judea and Samaria and Gaza is part of a broader push for reconciliation between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction and rival Islamist group Hamas. This is seen as vital to building broader support for any future statehood talks with Israel, frozen since 2014.
The last time a parliamentary ballot was held in 2006, Hamas emerged as the surprise victor. A power struggle ensued, and in 2007, after weeks of fighting that left dozens dead, the Islamist group seized control of Gaza from forces loyal to Abbas.
Some 93% of the 2.8 million eligible voters in Judea and Samaria and Gaza have registered for the polling. The total population in the Palestinian territories is 5.2 million.
Israel has yet to respond to a Palestinian request to allow balloting to take place in east Jerusalem, PA officials said.
Unlike in the 1996 and 2006 elections, Palestinians will not be voting for individual candidates, rather for parties or lists that contain between 16 and 132 candidates.
Farid Taamallah, a spokesman of the Palestinian Central Election Commission, said on Saturday that officials had so far registered two electoral lists. Registration ends on March 31.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
