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Abbas calls for early elections
16/12/2006 14:10 - (SA)
Ramallah, West Bank - Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said on Saturday that he decided to call for early presidential and parliamentary elections to resolve an unprecedented political crisis with ruling Hamas.
"I decided to call for early presidential and legislative elections," Abbas said to applause during an eagerly awaited speech in Ramallah.
"Basic law stipulates that the people are the source of power," he said. "Let the people have their say and decide."
"I will talk as quickly as possible with the central elections commission to launch the preparations" for the ballot, he said.
Prior to the speech, Hamas had warned that early elections would amount to a coup against their government, which has been in power for less than a year, and vowed to fight any such move.
In his speech, Abbas dismissed warnings the early polls would lead to civil war between the Palestinians.
"Despite the suffering, the pain, the confrontations whoever is responsible for them, we will not allow ourselves to sink into a civil war," he said.
- AFP
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