File photo of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks to the media in the West Bank city of Ramallah October 19, 2009. Anger among Palestinians over Abbas's original position on a Gaza war report critical of Israel has cost him public support in a rivalry with Hamas. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    by Saud Abu Ramadan

    GAZA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Although Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has issued a decree to hold the general elections on Jan. 24 in the Palestinian territories, it is still unclear whether it will be held only in the West Bank or be postponed for another six months.

    The Gaza Strip ruling Islamic Hamas movement, which immediately rejected Abbas' decree and vowed to prevent holding the elections in the impoverished enclave, conditioned holding the elections anytime with reaching an inter-reconciliation agreement that ends the current division.

    Meanwhile, Palestinian observers in Gaza warned that if a reconciliation deal between Hamas and Abbas' Fatah party has not reached until Jan. 24, the Palestinian cause will fall into a deep dark tunnel and the crisis would be larger.     

    DISPUTES OVER ELECTION DATE

    Abbas and his Fatah party still made statements to the media, saying that if Hamas rejects signing on the reconciliation pact, "holding the elections in the Palestinian territories would be the only solution to end the current status of rift between Gaza Strip and the West Bank."

    Azzam el-Ahmed, a senior Fatah leader said that Fatah insists on holding the elections in accordance with Abbas' decree; however, he said "If Hamas insists on preventing the elections, the central committee would study the situation and move the issue to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)."

    "The PLO is the last reference to decide on holding the elections. It is authorized to make its final decision and put a solution to the crisis," said el-Ahmed, reminding that "Israel has prevented holding the elections in 2006, and then the PLO made its decision to hold it on time."

    However, sources in Hamas movement, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Jerusalem-based Palestinian daily of al-Mannar that Hamas would soon sign on an amended draft of the Egyptian reconciliation pact, "because Hamas also wants to delay the elections."

    Abbas and other Fatah leaders stressed that if Hamas accepted the reconciliation pact and sign on, then Abbas will have the excuse to issue another decree to set up June 28, 2010 as a date for holding the elections according to the Egyptian drafted pact of reconciliation.     

    ELECTIONS WITHOUT RECONCILIATION TO SPLIT PALESTINIANS

    Although Hamas movement hasn't yet accepted the Egyptian-drafted pact of reconciliation, which was accepted by Abbas and his Fatah group, Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip said they are not against holding the elections, but before holding it, there has to be a deal of national accordance.

    Hamas wants a reconciliation agreement to be reached before deciding a date for holding the elections, because it is concerned that if it accepts Abbas' decree and go for elections without reconciliation, the elections won't be fair and democratic.

    Gaza-based deputy speaker of the Hamas-dominated parliament Ahmed Bahar told reporters on Saturday that his movement "is concerned about the security situation in the West Bank in case a reconciliation agreement is not reached."

    "In case fair and democratic elections are held in the Palestinian territories, mainly in the West Bank, Hamas will for sure win," said Bahar, who accused Abbas of following the condition of the international Quartet "which aims at ousting Hamas movement from the Palestinian political scene."

    Mekhemer Abu Se'da, the political science teacher at al-Azahr University in Gaza told Xinhua on telephone that holding the elections only in the West Bank and East Jerusalem without the Gaza Strip "would manifest the real split between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip."

    "I believe that Jan. 24 is not final and is not holy," said Abu Se'da, expecting that the Central Elections Committee which received clear instructions from Abbas to prepare for the elections in both Gaza and the West Bank would find a reason to prompt Abbas to retrieve his decision.

    "The committee will recommend Abbas to postpone it because, as Hamas insists to prevent holding the elections in the Gaza Strip, it will be difficult for Abbas to hold the elections with only 40 percent of the Palestinians in the territories," he added.