CAIRO — The Palestinian president says he will set Jan. 24 as the date for presidential and legislative elections, despite objections from his rivals in the Hamas militant group. Mahmoud Abbas told journalists in Cairo Tuesday that he will set the date in a decree on Sunday.
Hamas is seeking to delay the election.
Hamas won the 2005 legislative election and two years later expelled security forces loyal to Abbas from the Gaza Strip in a bloody conflict. That left Abbas in control of a rival, Western-backed government in the West Bank.
Egyptian-mediated talks meant to reconcile the two sides and clear the way for a new election to end the power struggle have foundered. Abbas said he's open to changing the election date if a deal is reached.
Source: FoxNews
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