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Abbas calls for Jan. 24 Palestinian elections

Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:41pm EDT

RAMALLAH, West Bank, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Friday for new elections to be held on Jan. 24 after rival factions failed to reach a unity deal in Egyptian-brokered talks.

The Western-backed Abbas issued the decree for presidential and parliamentary elections to be held in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

The election call came after Abbas's secular Fatah faction was unable to reach a unity deal with the Islamist group Hamas which controls the Gaza Strip.

Hamas officials said Abbas's election call strikes a blow to reconciliation efforts. (Writing by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Richard Williams)


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