AL urges Abbas to run in upcoming elections

Arab League chief Amr Moussa on Monday urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to reconsider his decision not to run in the upcoming presidential election, statement said.

According to the statement, Moussa called on Abbas to continue leading the Palestinian National Authority.

Moussa praised the Palestinian President's decision not to continue negotiations with Israel unless it stopped building settlements in the occupied lands.

Last week, Abbas said he would not run in the presidential election in January 2010.

Abbas made his decision due to the failure of the United States sponsored peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and Hamas' rejection to an Egyptian offer to restore Palestinian unity."

Source: Xinhua