A spokesman for Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, rejected a decree issued by President Mahmoud Abbas which makes several amendments to the electoral law as " illegal."
Fawzi Barhoum told reporters in Gaza that his movement which controls the Gaza Strip since mid June, rejects Abbas' decree and considers it as "illegal."
"It aims at depriving Hamas movement from joining any future legislative elections," said Barhoum whose party overwhelmingly won in the legislative elections held in the Palestinian territories in January 2006.
President Mahmoud Abbas issued a Presidential decree on Sunday, giving conditions for running in any upcoming legislative elections in the territories.
The decree which was published by Abbas' office in Ramallah said that any Palestinian wants to run in any upcoming legislative conditions must be committed to Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Hamas is not a member of the PLO.
Abbas, for his part, insisted that he has the right to amend the electoral law.
"It is my right as a president to legislate laws and decisions that are called decrees. These decrees are legal, as long as the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) is not able to convene,"
Abbas said in a press conference held here on Sunday.
"If the PLC is able to convene, then it would be its right to pass my decree or reject it," said Abbas.
The Presidential decree also said the candidate should be committed to the declaration of independence made in November 15, 1988 in Algeria, and should be committed to the Palestinian basic law.
In addition, Abbas ratified the Palestinian elections law from being half proportional and half constituencies, to become fully proportional.
The proportional system means that a list of candidates is presented by each competing party or movement, and the Palestinians all over the territories will be asked to vote for the list.
The constituency system is that each district in Gaza and the West Bank prepares a list of candidates and the residents of each district vote for the list.
During last elections in January 2006 where the two systems were followed, Abbas' Fatah movement did very well in the proportional system but suffered a great loss in the constituencies system, Palestinian observers said.
Palestinian voters balloted for a 66-candidate list in the proportional system while another 66 candidates have to be elected in the constituencies. The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) is comprised of 132 members.
The overhaul of the law was seen as the latest measure taken by Abbas in competing with the rival Hamas, which stands against his power in Gaza since its violent takeover the enclave in mid-June.
Source: Xinhua
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