Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has announced that he will dissolve the Palestinian parliament, which is controlled by the radical Islamic Hamas, and hold new elections within half a year. The Palestinian Constitutional Court has passed a verdict, „and we need to implement that immediately,“ Abbas said yesterday in Ramallah.
When the ruling of the Constitutional Court in Ramallah had fallen, Abbas did not announce at a meeting with representatives of the Palestinian leadership. With a dissolution of the parliament Abbas would increase the pressure on its opponents of the Hamas clearly. The radical Islamic movement seized power over the Gaza Strip in 2007, and since then the Palestinian parliament has not met.
Abbas‘ term ready in 2009 expired
According to Palestinian law, the President of Parliament would be interim President if the already 83-year-old Abbas died in office. His term officially expired in 2009. Because no presidential election took place, he is still in office today.
Abbas, whose Fatah ruled the West Bank, had increased pressure on Hamas in recent months. For example, he reduced the salary payments for the Gaza Strip under Israeli blockade.
