GAZA, Jan. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- The Palestinian Interior Ministry announced a state of emergency on Tuesday in a bid to ensure a secure and smooth legislative election due on Wednesday.

   Tawfik Abu Khousa, spokesman of the interior ministry, said in a press statement that as of Tuesday, 13,000 Palestinian security apparatuses and police will be deployed inside and around voting stations to protect the polls, which will be held in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

   The state of emergency will last till results of the elections are announced, he said, adding that "Instructions have been made to security members to provide security to all voting stations."

   Security forces will prevent any attempts to obstruct the elections and bar armed men from entering the voting stations regardless of their positions, Abu Khousa added.

   Palestinian voters will elect an expanded parliament of 132 seats.

   Major groups, including the ruling Fatah movement and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), pledged to maintain calm on the election day in a joint statement announced earlier in the day.

   The elections, the second of its kind, pit Fatah and Hamas as two front-runners. Enditem