RAMALLAH, West Bank, 22 April 2005 — The Palestinian Parliament approved an amendment Wednesday to the electoral law, paving the way for legislative elections to take place on July 17 as scheduled.

Under the terms of the amended law, two-thirds of the MPs will now be elected by constituencies but the remainder will be elected by proportional representation.

The new parliament will also see the number of deputies raised from 83 to 132, while the minimum age for an MP has been reduced from 35 to 28.

The law, having been passed in the second reading by 43 votes to 15, will now be submitted to Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas for his final approval.

“The law has been adopted by the PLC (parliament) and will be submitted for approval tomorrow (yesterday) to the government and President Abbas,” the deputy speaker of parliament, Hassan Khreisheh, told AFP.

But members of the central committee of Abbas’ dominant Fatah party expressed opposition to the amendment at a meeting late Wednesday, which saw them backing a revised system which would scrap constituent voting in favor of election by proportional representation only. A Palestinian source who attended the meeting said the central committee was hoping to put its decision to Abbas before he approves the amended law.

Time Not Ripe for Military Strike Against Iran: Sharon

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said yesterday that the time has not come for a military strike against Iran’s nuclear program, but urged the world to put diplomatic pressure on the Tehran government.

“I personally am troubled by the fact that the world is getting used to the notion of the day coming when Iran becomes a member of the nuclear weapons club,” Sharon told Israel Radio.

Asked whether Israel might launch an air strike against Iran’s nuclear program as it did in 1981, Sharon said conditions in Iran are different today.

“It is a huge country with very many options to conceal (a nuclear reactor). ...I don’t think Israel has to lead this struggle. ...It is good for it not to lead this battle.”

“This is not the time for military operations, Sharon added. “This is the stage for economic and diplomatic pressures on Iran.”

The United States, he said, should head an international effort to put an end to Iran’s attempts to acquire nuclear weapons.