GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Amid calls to postpone the local elections slated for Oct. 8, the Palestinian Central Elections Commission (CEC) announced Aug. 25 that the nomination process has ended. On the same day, most of the electoral lists submitted the names of their candidates for the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the outskirts of East Jerusalem, which amounted to 860 candidacies distributed over 414 local councils.

Those who have been calling for the postponement of elections are mostly from the northern West Bank city of Nablus, where security has been deteriorating. On Aug. 18-19, armed clashes between individuals and security forces led to a man being beaten to death while in detention in Juneid prison. Despite the tense situation there, four electoral lists submitted their candidacies in Nablus just hours before the submission period ended.

Jamal Tirawi, a Fatah leader and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, told Al-Monitor, “I keep calling for the postponement of local elections because I am convinced that the current situation in the Palestinian territories and the unfortunate events in Nablus in particular, in addition to the Palestinian division, make it imperative.”

He added, “When all our internal issues are addressed, we can hold the elections again,” noting that many Fatah officials are calling for the postponement.