Palestinians vote in local elections

Reuters | Ramallah

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Palestinians held municipal elections in the Israeli-occupied West Bank yesterday in a rare democratic exercise and amid rising anger with President Mahmoud Abbas after he cancelled planned legislative and presidential votes earlier this year.

More than 400,000 Palestinians were eligible to cast ballots for representatives in 154 village councils in the West Bank, where Abbas’ Palestinian Authority has limited self-rule.

Municipal votes are typically held every four or five years.

Municipal elections are not being held in Gaza, whose rulers Hamas are boycotting the vote amid a rift with Abbas’ Fatah party.