Wheels have been in motion since Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a presidential decree Jan. 15 announcing that the legislative elections will be held May 22, the presidential elections July 31 and the Palestinian National Council elections Aug. 31.

Palestinians have not had an election in 15 years; the last legislative vote was held in January 2006, which Hamas won, and the last presidential elections were in January 2005 and were won by Abbas.

On Feb. 3, Khalil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, announced at a press conference in Gaza City that Hamas’ priority is to bring together all Palestinians under a unified political, electoral program, saying that Hamas will support the formation of a national unity government after the success of the elections. He added that should the factions agree on a minimum number of items in the program, doors would be wide open for a greater Palestinian consensus.

The Palestinian factions have not yet commented on Hayya’s statement about a unified electoral program, which is a first for him. Yet Hamas’ intention to gather all factions around a unified political, electoral program may contradict the idea of electoral competition.