Ramallah: Palestinian parties and factions, which sued the government in the past for delaying elections, threatened on Monday to move the court again to force the government to announce a date for holding local elections in the West Bank.
"We hope the Palestinian government will announce a date to conduct the elections," said Bassam Al Salhi, secretary-general of the People's Party, in a statement.
"April would be the best possible date for the local elections as examinations for the General Secondary Certificate fall in June and July and people become extremely busy," he said.
"If the elections were not conducted in April, they would be further delayed and that would not be accepted," he said.
"The government should approve a specific date as instructed by the Palestinian Higher Court of Justice," he said. "We will approach the court again should the government fail to comply with court's verdict," he said.
Responding, Palestinian Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad told reporters in Ramallah that consultations are underway to choose a date for the elections in the West Bank, hoping that polls would also be held in the Gaza Strip.
"The government fully respects the decision of the higher court," he said, hoping that those elections will be followed by presidential and legislative elections to highlight democracy in Palestine.
