Abbas's Call For Elections Deepens Palestinian Divisions

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (File)The Palestinian Authority has announced a date for elections, throwinga wrench into national unity talks with its Islamic militant rivals.

Western-backedPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed a decree that presidentialand parliamentary elections will take place on January 24. But theannouncement only deepened Palestinian divisions.

The vote issupposed to take place in the West Bank, which is controlled by Mr.Abbas, and the Gaza Strip which is ruled by its rival faction Hamas.But Hamas quickly rejected the call for elections, saying it is illegaland unconstitutional.  

Senior Hamas official Ahmad Bahar told anews conference in Gaza that Mr. Abbas's rule is illegitimate and hehas no authority to declare elections. He said Mr. Abbas should be puton trial "for impersonating a president."

Hamas routed Mr.Abbas's Fatah forces in the Palestinian civil war in Gaza in 2007 andseized control of Gaza; since then, the two factions have been atloggerheads. Mr. Abbas now heads a more moderate Palestinian governmentin the West Bank that supports the peace process with Israel.  

Speaking to Fatah members in the West Bank town of Ramallah, President Abbas took his own swipe at Hamas.

Hamasdescribes my government as illegitimate, he said. But Hamas is the onethat seized power in a coup. Mr. Abbas said that is illegal andillegitimate. He said he is required by the Palestinian constitution tohold elections in January.

The Palestinian divisions pose amajor obstacle to the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bankand Gaza, which is the stated goal of the peace process sponsored bythe United States. Hamas refuses to renounce violence or recognizeIsrael, and Israel says as long as the group rules Gaza, there cannotbe a Palestinian state.

Egypt has tried to overcome thisobstacle by sponsoring reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah.But as one Hamas official put it: Mr. Abbas has dealt a "lethal blow toreconciliation."