Ramallah: The Palestinian National Authority is mulling whether to cancel presidential and parliamentary elections slated for May 4, after they say that Hamas is failing to adhere to reconciliation commitments.
"If the status quo remains between Fatah and Hamas regarding the reconciliation standstill, the PNA will cancel the elections," an official in the authority has told Gulf News.
Status quo
Fatah says Hamas is enjoying the current status quo where almost half of the Palestinian budget goes to the Gaza Strip while they have no fullfilled any of their committments towards reconciliation.
"Why should Hamas do anything to achieve unity?" the source asked. He said that living conditions are far better now in the Gaza Strip than in the West Bank.
"The government in the West Bank is paying salaries to employees in Gaza, and prices in Gaza are 70 per cent cheaper than in the West Bank," he said. "This is not fair."
The source also said that a committee commissioned in Cairo to look into the implementation of the reconciliation deal has not done any follow-up work.
'No real intention of reconciliation'
"Hamas was forced into unity talks with Fatah after the Arab Spring conditions changed regional realities. Hamas has no real intention for reconciliation," the source said.
An Egyptian delegation who was supposed to visit the West Bank and Gaza on February 2 has cancelled after expressing dissatisfaction and pessimism over Palestinian reconciliation which is widely believed to be unreachable.
On February 1, the Palestinian public will participate in a pot beating campaign to express disastisfaction with Palestinian division.
They say they will go to their rooftops and bang on pots and pans in protest.
