Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas gestures during a meeting with the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank city of Ramallah, October 6, 2019. /VCG Photo
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is Fatah's "sole candidate" in the coming presidential elections, Fatah party announced in an official statement on Saturday.
Abbas is also the chairman of Fatah's Central Committee and the chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee.
Fatah's announcement was made earlier on Saturday in a meeting held in Ramallah chaired by Abbas' deputy Mahmoud al-Aloul, which discussed holding the general elections in the Palestinian territories.
Hamas's chief in Gaza Yehya Sinwar (R) welcomes Chairman of the Palestinian Central Elections Committee Hanna Nasser at his office in Gaza city, October 28, 2019. /VCG Photo
According to the official news agency WAFA, the meeting called on Abbas not to wait and rush for issuing a presidential decree that would set up a date for holding the elections in the Palestinian territories.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Central Elections Commission (CEC) Hanna Nasser and a CEC delegation are scheduled to visit the Gaza Strip again to resume the dialogue with Hamas and other factions on holding the elections.
However, no date was set for the elections yet.
Last parliamentary elections were held in the Palestinian territories in 2006, where Hamas, ruler of Gaza, won a majority while Abbas was elected the Palestinian president in 2005.
Hamas and Fatah have exchanged accusations of impeding the new elections, amid fears that Israel will not allow elections to be held in East Jerusalem.