Hamas said yesterday that the Palestinian Authority (PA)’s calls to hold parliamentary elections is “illegal” and “in violation of Palestinian reconciliation deals”, the Anadolu Agency reported

Hamas Spokesman Hazem Qasim said: “All the Palestinian factions agreed to carry out presidential, parliamentarian and Palestinian National Council elections simultaneously.”

He added: “The PA and Fatah’s calls to carry out only parliamentary elections is a violation of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement, as well as Palestinian law.”

Qasim stressed: “Implementing all the terms of the agreement is the right thing to do – holding general elections under a national agreement and under the supervision of national unity government.”

On Sunday, the PA, Fatah and PLO President Mahmoud Abbas met with the head of the Elections Commission Hanna Nasser and discussed arrangements to hold parliamentary elections.

Abbas announced on 22 December a decision by the Constitutional Court to dissolve parliament and called for elections within six months.

Palestinian law stipulates that elections be held every four years. The last elections were held in 2006 and Hamas won an overwhelming majority, but Fatah refused to hand over power to the democratically elected group.

A Palestinian agreement deal signed between Hamas and Fatah in Cairo in 2011 stipulates that presidential, parliamentarian and Palestinian National Council elections must be held together under the supervision of a national unity government.