Abbas plans Palestinian elections

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday he will order early parliamentary and presidential elections in response to what he called the "coup" by Hamas Islamists in the Gaza Strip. "We will call... for early legislative and presidential...

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday he will order early parliamentary and presidential elections in response to what he called the "coup" by Hamas Islamists in the Gaza Strip.

"We will call... for early legislative and presidential elections and we will not wait for approval from those sitting over there in Gaza or from those sitting abroad," President Abbas told a key forum of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).

Mr Abbas indicated last month when he dismissed a Hamas-led government on June 14 following the Islamists' violent takeover in the smaller of the two Palestinian territories that he would seek elections before the scheduled 2010 timetable.

Earlier yesterday, he said he would issue decrees shortly to set the processes in motion.

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