Source: Biden’s Administration Demands Elections in PA Before Resumption of Ties

President-elect Joe Biden’s team has conveyed a message to the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) leadership through unofficial channels that it will not be able to work with the PA and resume ties before legislative and presidential elections in the PA, a source has told TPS.

The last presidential election was won by PA head Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah in January 2005, while the January 2006 legislative election was won by Hamas.

There have been no elections in the PA since.

The PA is preparing for the elections after Hamas has agreed to the terms and conditions.

Abbas met on Saturday with the head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Hanna Nasser during which they discussed dates for holding the legislative, presidential and National Council elections.

Nasser proposed specific dates for the elections and it was decided that another meeting with the CEC will be held in a week and Abbas is now expected to issue the elections decrees by January 20, to be followed by a dialogue between the factions on the electoral process.

With the entry of the Biden administration into the White House, the PA expects the reopening of the PLO embassy in Washington, the reopening of the US consulate in eastern Jerusalem, and the renewal of US budgets to the PA, including for UNRWA.