Ramallah: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to urge Hamas Islamists to agree to early elections, cede control of the Gaza Strip and hold talks with his Fatah faction, a Palestinian official said.
The official said Abbas was expected to revive the possibility of early Palestinian elections in a speech later on Monday to mark the anniversary of the founding of Fatah.
Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June, prompting Abbas to sack a Hamas-led unity government and appoint a Fatah-backed administration in the West Bank. The rift helped pave the way for US-backed talks with Israel.
Abbas said after Hamas's Gaza takeover he wanted to call early elections, but has not set a date. It has been several months since he last talked publicly about holding a ballot.
Hamas, which won a Palestinian parliamentary vote in 2006, opposes early elections, saying they are unconstitutional. Elections are not due until 2010.