国际英语新闻：Abbas calls on Palestinians to hold elections on Jan. 24

RAMALLAH, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday called on the Palestinians in the Palestinian territories to hold the general legislative and presidential elections on Jan. 24, 2010.

"President Abbas calls on the Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip to hold free and direct general presidential and legislative elections on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2010," the Palestinian official state-run news agency Wafa quoted a decree issued by Abbas on Friday.

File photo taken on Aug. 9, 2009 shows Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas casting his vote during the Fatah congress in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. Abbas on Friday called on the Palestinians in the Palestinian territories to hold the general legislative and presidential elections on Jan. 24, 2010

    According to Wafa, the decree is as follows:

    Article 1: The Palestinian people in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip are called for direct and free general presidential and legislative elections on Sunday, January 24, 2010.

    Article 2: The chief and members of the Central Elections Committee and all other specialized corporations are asked to implement the rules of this decree and start working with it from the date it was issued and to be published in the official daily and other Palestinian newspapers.

    The Palestinian Central Council of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) would convene on Saturday to decide on a date for holding the elections, which is constitutionally due on Jan. 25 next year.

File photo taken on Aug. 4, 2009 shows Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaking during the opening of the Fatah congress in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. Abbas on Friday called on the Palestinians in the Palestinian territories to hold the general legislative and presidential elections on Jan. 24, 2010.

Meanwhile, Gaza ruling Islamic Hamas movement rejected on Friday holding the general elections in the Palestinian territories before the Palestinian factions reach a reconciliation agreement.

    Ahmed Bahar, a senior Gaza-based Hamas leader told dozens of the group's supporters in Gaza City that "any elections held in the Palestinian territories without any national accordance won't be accepted."

    "Holding elections before reaching a national agreement would deepen split among the two parts of the Palestinian territories, Gaza Strip and the West Bank," said Bahar, who is also a deputy speaker of the parliament.

    He went on saying that Hamas is seeking "free and fair elections," adding "we have to prepare the healthy atmosphere away from the requirements of the international Quartet which wants us to recognize Israel."