Fatah official: Abbas' elections decree final

GAZA, Oct. 25 -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is determined to hold elections next January and his decree is unalterable, an official from Abbas' Fatah movement said Sunday.

"Abbas will implement his decree regarding the elections even if Hamas bans the polls," said Abdullah Abu Samhadana, a Fatah official based in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

"Presidential decrees are irreversible," he added in a statement sent to the media.

Hamas, which won the parliamentary elections in 2006, refused Abbas' decree which called parliamentary and presidential elections to be held in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem on Jan. 24 next year.

The Islamic movement says it wants to reconcile with Fatah, restore political ties between Gaza and the Fatah-ruled West Bank and make national agreement before going to elections.

However, Hamas rejected to sign an Egyptian proposal for reconciliation and demanded adjustments.

Abbas, whose Fatah party has accepted the Egyptian offer, issued his decree on Friday after Hamas rebuffed the Egyptian-drafted document which appeared after several rounds of talks between the concerned parties.

"If Hamas prevents the elections in Gaza, the Central Elections Committee will find a way to hold the polls there," Abu Samhadana said.

"Hamas always argues that it obtained power through elections, then why does it refuse to go back to the polls?" Abu Samhadana said.

In 2007, a year after winning the elections, Hamas routed pro-Abbas forces and seized control of security installations in Gaza.