Hamas rejects Abbas' decree over holding Palestinian elections on Jan. 24

Gaza Strip ruling Islamic Hamas movement rejected on Friday the decree of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who called on the Palestinians to go for general elections on Jan. 24, 2010.

In a written statement sent to reporters, Hamas movement considered Abbas' decree "a destructive strike" to all the efforts to achieve an inter-Palestinian reconciliation, adding "the decree is a rejected step."

Meanwhile, Gaza-based Hamas leader Ismail Radwan told Xinhua in an interview that holding the Palestinian elections without a national agreement of accordance "is a response to the American instructions."

"This step is actually serving the American demands ... as well as the Zionist enemy," said Radwan, adding "There is no doubt that this declaration has undermined all the efforts made by Egypt to end the split; it simply deepens feuds and disputes."

He revealed that Hamas will study this declaration made by Abbas and will soon issue its official response to it. Hamas has been taking control of the Gaza Strip since June 2007 after it violently routed Abbas' security forces and cracked down on his Fatah party.

Palestinian observers said that since Hamas fully controls the Gaza Strip, it would be impossible to hold the elections in the Gaza Strip and Hamas will prevent the enclave's population from running or voting.

Earlier on Friday evening, Abbas issued a decree calling on the Palestinians in the Palestinian territories to hold the general, legislative and presidential elections on Jan. 24, 2010.

The Palestinian official news agency Wafa, which published the decree, said that "President Abbas calls on the Palestinians in Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza to hold free and direct general presidential and legislative elections on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2010."

"After looking into the basic law amended in 2003, and the Article 1 in the law related to general election issued in 2007, and according to our authorizations to achieve the publics' interests, we decided to issue the following decree:

Article 1: The Palestinian people in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip are called for direct and free general presidential and legislative elections on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2010.

Article 2: The chief and members of the Central Elections Committee and all other specialized corporations are asked to implement the rules of this decree and start working with it from the date it was issued and to be published in the official daily and other Palestinian newspapers."

However, the Palestinian Central Council of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) would convene on Saturday to decide on a date for holding the elections, which is constitutionally due on Jan. 25 next year.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the decree will be brought for a debate during the PLO central committee meeting that will be held in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Saturday and Sunday.

Hamas has insisted to hold the general elections in the Palestinian territories before the Palestinian factions reach a reconciliation agreement.

Ahmed Bahar, a senior Gaza-based Hamas leader, said Friday in Gaza City that "any elections held in the Palestinian territories without any national accordance won't be accepted."

"Holding elections before reaching a national agreement would deepen split among the two parts of the Palestinian territories, Gaza Strip and the West Bank," said Bahar, who is also a deputy speaker of the parliament.

He went on saying that Hamas is seeking "free and fair elections," adding "we have to prepare the healthy atmosphere away from the requirements of the international Quartet which wants us to recognize Israel."

Source: Xinhua