Shaath: U.S. assured PA East Jerusalem vote will be allowed

[Wordie]

Shaath: U.S. assured PA East Jerusalem vote will be allowed
By Arnon Regular, Haaretz Correspondent and Reuters

Palestinian Information Minister Nabil Shaath said on Monday the United States has informed the Palestinian Authority that East Jerusalem residents will be able to vote in the city, despite Israeli misgivings.

Shaath said U.S. officials informed the Palestinian government that campaigning and voting in Jerusalem would go ahead. Shaath said he has not yet heard from Israeli officials.

"I have already been informed by the American government (of) their assurances that the Israelis will implement the commitments ... to allow campaigning and elections for the legislative council to be held in Jerusalem as well as any other place, on the modalities that were used in 1996, " Shaath told Associated Press Television News. "We have not received anything yet from the Israelis to confirm that, but we will go on this assurance."

However, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said a deal on voting procedures in Jerusalem has not yet been reached.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/667685.html

The article goes on to discuss how Israel has said that the reason it wants to block the voting there is because of the participation of the militant group, Hamas, although they may reconsider the decision because their position has led to a statement from Abbas, who is considering a postponement of the election if Israel prevents the Jerusalem vote.

The article further explained that Israel is now allowing some E. Jerusalem campaigning, but is barring those who belong to militant groups. And that there are reports of a meeting to take place later today between Israeli and Palestinian officials to discuss the issue.

Finally, the article mentions that Hamas has said it will defy the Israeli ban, and discusses the history and issues of Palestinian voting in the city. Israeli police blocked Palestinian campaigning earlier, saying that Palestinian political activity is banned under interim accords, but the Palestinians dispute the claim. Voting was allowed during the last Palestinian legislative elections in 1996.