Palestinians protest Abbas' election call
Palestine, Politics, 12/16/2006

Several thousand supporters of the Hamas-led government gathered throughout the Gaza Strip today to protest a call for early elections by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

Hundreds of Hamas loyalists, flocked to the parliament compound in Gaza City after the movement urged Palestinians to come out into the streets to protest Abbas's call.

"Abu Mazen (Abbas) and the Palestinian Authority are collaborating with Israel," chanted the demonstrators.

Demonstrations were also being held in the southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis and the northern town of Jabaliya.

Abbas said he decided to call for early presidential and legislative elections.

The US and the UK welcomed a call by President Mahmoud Abbas for fresh elections.

"While the elections are an internal matter, we hope this helps bring the violence to an end and the formation of a Palestinian Authority committed to the Quartet principles," White House Spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo said today.

Yesterday, Department Of State spokesman Sean McCormack said "at the moment there seems to be a spike in that tension. There's been some violence in the Gaza between -- according to news reports, between groups associated with Hamas and groups associated with Fatah. Now, we have been in contact with President Abbas and we would encourage efforts within the Gaza to lower the tensions to -- that result in violence. Now, there are great political differences in the Gaza. We have seen this play out over the past several months. Those differences should be resolved within the context of the Palestinian political system. I think very fundamentally, though, what you are seeing is a rise in tensions that really emanates and is the direct result of the inability of Hamas to effectively govern in the Palestinian areas. And why is that? The reason for that is the policies that they have pursued specifically with respect to any sort of participation in a peaceful negotiation with the state of Israel and renunciation of the use of terror."

He added "They have refused to do that and, therefore, they changed the bargain with the rest of the world, and the rest of the world has said you changed the bargain with the rest of the world, well, we're going to change our bargain with the Palestinian Authority. And as a direct result of that, they have failed to govern. And I think that that is really one of the root causes of some of the escalation in violence that you've seen in the Palestinian areas. But we, of course, do not want to see this sort of escalation and resort to violence get out of hand in the Palestinian areas because innocent lives will be lost."

He added "the point here is you don't want innocent life lost. Now again, the differences -- it is our belief, and we supported democratic elections in the Palestinian areas, that any political differences need to be resolved peacefully and within the context of the political system. But, of course, you have to have those individuals committed to that kind of system ready to defend that kind of system. The state must defend the institutions of the state."

British Prime Minister Tony Blair Saturday urged the international community to throw all its weight behind Mahmud Abbas after he called for early elections.

"This is the moment for the international community to come behind him, to help build his authority and his capability, to deliver improvements in the living standards of Palestinian people but also in the progress that we all want to see on resolving the Israel-Palestinian issue," he told reporters after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo.

"Mahmoud Abbas's decision to call early elections is a strong sign that the Palestinian president is seeking a way out of the deadlock in the peace process," Blair said.

"It's at this very moment that we have got to step forward. If the elected President of the Palestinian people is prepared to give leadership in this situation, we in the international community should be behind him and support him in bringing about the only just solution," he added.

He said it would be a "strategic opportunity missed" if nothing good came out of Abbas's attempt to break the months-old deadlock with fresh elections.

Hamas, which has been in power for less than a year, branded the move as a "coup d'etat" and warned that it could lead to civil war. Hamas had previously questioned the legality of Abbas being able to make such a call.

Previous Stories:
  Haniyeh: Palestinians never to recognize Israel legitimacy   (12/9/2006)
  Reaction against Israeli crimes sought at UN   (12/2/2006)
  Abbas ask Hamas to hand him kidnapped Israeli soldier   (11/7/2006)
  Establishing Palestinian government doesn't legalize Israeli regime : Hamas official   (10/23/2006)
  Palestinian unity government fail so far   (10/6/2006)
  Palestinians agree to a national unity government   (9/11/2006)
  Hamas to form coalition government: Haniyeh   (9/5/2006)

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