Hamas holds internal elections ahead of Palestinian general elections
Hamas held its internal leadership elections ahead of the Palestinian general elections to bring new blood into its organization.
Hamas held its internal elections Feb. 19, during which tens of thousands of Hamas voters elected the administrative bodies for sub-regions, the General Shura Council, and the head and members of the movement’s political bureau, according to a Hamas statement on Feb. 23. The results have yet to be announced.
Hamas conducts its elections every four years in complete secrecy in the three separate regions where the movement is present, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and outside the Palestinian territories. The electoral process starts off with the election of the leadership of sub-regions, which vote for the Shura Council. The latter in turn elects members of the movement’s political bureau.
The last elections were held in May 2017, following which Ismail Haniyeh became politburo chief, succeeding Khaled Meshaal.
But this time, despite the secretive aspect of the elections, Hamas published pictures of the voting in different areas of the Gaza Strip.
