Palestine urges UNSC to stop Israel from obstructing upcoming elections

RAMALLAH, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Thursday urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to stop Israel from obstructing the upcoming legislative elections scheduled on May 22.

The UNSC is expected to hold an open session to discuss the situation in Palestine, the state radio Voice of Palestine reported, quoting Palestine's permanent envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour as saying.

"We hope the UNSC meeting will take an active position to compel Israel not to obstruct the legislative elections in all the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem," Mansour said.

He said all the UNSC member states were briefed on Israel's practices in arresting and detaining candidates running for the legislative elections in East Jerusalem and the dispersal of election rallies in the city.

Mansour announced the European Union's representative to the UN will issue a joint statement to support holding the Palestinian general elections and will ask Israel not to obstruct the elections in the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

On Tuesday, Nabil Shaath, an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said there is a possibility of postponing the elections if Israel doesn't allow holding the elections in East Jerusalem.

On Monday, Palestinian officials said that Palestine is still waiting for an official response from Israel.

In January, Abbas announced the 2021 general elections will include the legislative elections on May 22, the presidential elections on July 31, and the elections of the Palestinian National Council, the highest decision-making body of the Palestine Liberation Organization, on Aug. 31.

The Palestinians insist on holding the legislative elections in East Jerusalem, saying they want to hold the general elections to elect a new parliament and a new president in all the Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.

The Palestinians in East Jerusalem participated in the last presidential and legislative elections held in 2005 and 2006.