Palestinians ask European Union to send observers to monitor long-awaited elections

Palestinian election officials on Sunday requested the European Union to assign observers to observe upcoming elections planned for the Palestinian legislature and presidency.

Past efforts at reconciliation have frequently failed. But Sunday’s invitation to the European Union was a symbol that the Palestinians are earnest about holding what will be their first elections in 15 years.

The Central Elections Commission maintained its chairman, Hanna Nasir, spread the invitation for both the European Union and the European Parliament to send monitors. It said the invitation was given to the local EU representative, Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorf, and Nasir “stressed the importance of international observation to the electoral process, particularly by the EU.”

The Palestinians are looking to the EU to guarantee that the vote is transparent, and likewise in hopes of rallying pressure on Israel to allow Palestinians in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem to vote.

“The goal during the coming period is to make all efforts to reach free and fair elections that produce elected representatives from the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip,” he said.

Representatives from Abbas’ Fatah party and Hamas are anticipated to meet in Egypt next month in hopes of working out logistics.