Palestine to elect new president in July in 1st vote since 2006

Ramallah/Gaza: Palestinian voters will go to the polls at the end of July to elect a new president for the first time in 15 years. The voting date was set for July 31, according to a decree signed by incumbent Mahmoud Abbas on Friday evening. A parliamentary election was also scheduled for May 22. Voters in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem will be eligible to participate. Elections were planned several times in the past few years - but no presidential decree was ever signed. A vote was last planned for around the end of 2019, when Abbas made it dependent on Israel’s permission to hold it in East Jerusalem. (afp)