The US is pressuring the Palestinian Authority (PA) to delay its efforts on upgrading its UN membership in September until after the American presidential election, according to a senior Palestinian official.

“There are pressures from the United States and some Arab parties to delay the voting until after the United States presidential elections, due in November,”Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee member Saleh Raafat told Voice of Palestine radio.

On August 4, the Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said that the PA, which currently holds "observer" status at the UN, will ask to be upgraded to "non-member state" at the General Assembly meeting on September 27, at which President Mahmoud Abbas plans an address.