Brussels [Belgium], October 7: Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said the EU is ready to deploy an Election Observation Mission for the Palestinian legislative elections scheduled for 28th November.
Kallas said in a social media post that the deployment of an EU Election Observation Mission was among the issues she discussed during a call with Palestinian Vice-President Hussein Al-Sheikh, stressing that Palestinians have the right to choose their representatives in elections that are "credible, inclusive and transparent".
She said that after nearly 20 years without a parliamentary vote, the elections would offer a long-overdue opportunity to renew the legitimacy of Palestinian institutions. The elections are due to take place in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas set 28th November as the date for the legislative elections in a decree issued last July. The Central Elections Commission is continuing its preparations, with the candidate nomination period running from 26th September to 7th October and electoral campaigning due to begin on 6th November.
Source: Emirates News Agency