Palestinians hold local elections in occupied West Bank
ABC News
Palestinians have voted in local elections in the occupied West Bank
RAMALLAH, West Bank -- Palestinians voted in local elections in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, less than a year after President Mahmoud Abbas called off parliamentary elections that would have likely loosened his party's grip on power.
Most candidates ran as independents, though many have ties to Abbas' Fatah party, and the outcomes will largely depend on local dynamics. The Islamic militant group Hamas, which rules Gaza, is boycotting the elections and refusing to hold them in the isolated territory.
A first round was held in December in rural areas, where local politics are dominated by powerful families. Saturday's voting was held in urban areas, where there is more visible opposition to Fatah, but the local elections are unlikely to produce any clear referendum on its leadership.
Of the 102 localities, only 50 saw more than one electoral list compete, according to the Central Elections Commission. Municipal elections were last held in 2017.
