Abbas Calls Palestinian Elections Despite No Hamas Deal

President Mahmoud Abbas has called presidential and legislative elections across the Palestinian Territories for January, despite his Fatah movement and Hamas, which currently governs the Gaza Strip, having failed to conclude a reconciliation deal.

Mahmoud Abbas, who Press TV refers to as Acting President and Al Jazeera confirms did see his term in office expire in the early part of 2009, has decreed that presidential and legislative elections will take place in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem on January 24 2010. The reaction from Hamas, which has reportedly declined to sign an Egyptian-brokered reconciliation deal with Fatah because of what Press TV describes as "serious issues missing in the agreement", to the announcement by Mr Abbas has been an angry one. According to the Ma'an News Agency Ahmad Bahar, who is a senior Hamas official and the deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (Palestinian Parliament), has noted that "any elections held without a national unity agreement will not be accepted by Palestinians". Mr Bahar also made reference to the burden placed on the Palestinian people by the Quartet - the U.S., Russia, the EU and the UN. A part of that alleged burden is the call for Hamas and other Palestinian groups to recognize the state of Israel. Meanwhile Al Jazeera reports that Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum told AFP that, on the grounds that his term in office is over, Mr Abbas' election decree was "illegal and unconstitutional". Mr Barhum added that Mr Abbas was attempting to make the current Fatah-Hamas division a permanent one. Other Hamas officials have accused Mr Abbas of bowing to pressure from the U.S. in calling the January elections. Ma'an News Agency is reporting that the man still assuming the role of Palestinian President did indeed speak with President Obama only hours before revealing the January polls. However Mr Abbas is apparently prepared to reschedule the election if the proposed reconciliation with Hamas can be finalized. From Ramallah, the city in the West Bank that is the administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority, Al Jazeera correspondent Nour Odeh explained that the election date can be moved back, saying:

The January 24 date was agreed on by all factions in Cairo. This is not a date that someone has pulled out of their pocket. However, Egypt [which is mediating the unity talks] had asked that these elections be postponed until June, and that was agreed to by all parties provided that all factions sign the unity deal that was presented

Hamas was victorious after the last Palestinian elections in 2006, but its stance on Israel and refusal to comply with peace agreements previously agreed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority resulted in economic sanctions being imposed on the Palestinian Territories by the international community. Mr Abbas was unsuccessful in persuading Hamas to change its position with regard to Israel, a shift in position which would, or should, have resulted in the lifting of the sanctions. Violence between Hamas and Fatah ensued, an attempt to form a national unity government failed, and, after yet more violence, control of the Gaza Strip fell to Hamas. In the West Bank, Mr Abbas used his presidential powers to establish a government headed up by Salam Fayyad, an independent who remains the Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority.