12 novembre 2009
PA officials: 'Postpone elections'
Palestinian election officials on Thursday recommended calling off January's presidential election, clearing the way for embattled President Mahmoud Abbas to back off his threats to step down and remain in office. Election Commission chairman Hanna Nasser said it would be impossible to conduct the vote in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. "We planned to go to Gaza to figure out how we can conduct elections there," Nasser said. "In the meantime, we received an answer from Hamas that we are not welcome in Gaza. It is clear now that we cannot hold an election in Gaza." Hamas announced already in late October that it would not allow the elections committee to start preparations in the Gaza Strip for holding new presidential and parliamentary elections. At the time, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Interior threatened to punish any Palestinian who participated in the elections or helped Abbas's elections committee in the Gaza Strip. Later on Thursday, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zouhri reiterated that his group opposed the election because it was declared unilaterally. "Without reconciliation, there will be no election," he said. Abbas was in neighboring Jordan on Thursday and did not immediately comment. "President Abbas will make the appropriate decision after he returns," said his spokesman, Nabil Abu Rdeneh. "Hamas' decision to ban the election commission from working in Gaza proves that Hamas is not eager to reach national unity and reconciliation." On Wednesday, Abbas said that he was still interested in patching up his differences with Hamas. "We want reconciliation and we want to reunite our people and homeland," he said during a ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death. "Hamas exists and it will stay. Hamas came through elections and now we are offering Hamas elections once again." Referring to his decision last week not to run for another term in a new election, Abbas said: "I don't want to talk again about my desire not to run in the election. But I want to say that there are other options that I will take in accordance with the developments." (21,09)