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Abbas calls for Palestinian poll Abbas calls for Palestinian poll
(about 1 hour later)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for presidential and parliamentary elections to be held at the "earliest opportunity".Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for presidential and parliamentary elections to be held at the "earliest opportunity".
A new poll was the only way to resolve the current crisis, Mr Abbas said.
He was speaking live on Palestinian TV after days of escalating tensions between Hamas and his Fatah movement that have raised fears of civil war.He was speaking live on Palestinian TV after days of escalating tensions between Hamas and his Fatah movement that have raised fears of civil war.
Hamas, which was elected in January and does not recognise Israel,immediately rejected the call. Hamas, elected in January, immediately rejected his call as " a coup attempt".
Western donors have suspended direct aid over Hamas's refusal to recognise Israel and renounce violence.
" I decided ...to call for early presidential and parliament elections," Mr Abbas said at the end of a major policy speech in Ramallah." I decided ...to call for early presidential and parliament elections," Mr Abbas said at the end of a major policy speech in Ramallah.
Mr Abbas, who does not have the direct power to call elections, said he had asked the Central Election Committee to begin preparing as soon as possible for this. He blamed Hamas for the current crisis, saying their stance had provoked Western sanctions.
In the interim period all efforts should be made to form a unity government made up of technocrats, he said. The Palestinian government rejects this call for early elections and considers it a coup against Palestinian legitimacy and the will of the Palestinian people Hamas government statement href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6185209.stm" class="">Mid-East 'at critical moment' href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/6182969.stm" class="">Q&A: Palestinian crisis
There have been several bouts of street fighting since Hamas won a sweeping victory in parliamentary elections last January. The Palestinian people were suffering from an economic siege, which had halved incomes, he said.
Our fight is against the [Israeli] occupation and we will not let ourselves be drawn into a civil war Khaled Mashaal Hamas political leader href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6185209.stm" class="">Mid-East 'at critical moment' It is not clear when the elections would be held, and actually organising them is easier said than done, says the BBC's Nick Thorpe in Ramallah.
Hamas and the Fatah faction led by Mr Abbas have been unable to reach agreement on a national reconciliation government. Many Palestinians say the president has no right to dissolve the government, while President Abbas insists that he does.
"Without a political agreement, security will remain disturbed," Mr Abbas said in his speech in Ramallah. It will be up to the Central Election Commission to try to find a legal way of carrying out the president's orders, our correspondent says.
He pointed out that he had the right to fire the Hamas government which he blamed for the current crisis. The current Palestinian parliament was elected in January and is due to remain in office until the end of 2010.
Hamas had refused to meet international demands to recognise Israel and renounce violence, which had led to Western sanctions, Mr Abbas said. Strife
He said he had urged foreign governments, after appointing the Hamas-led government following the party's election success, to give the new cabinet a chance, but unfortunately a siege had instead been imposed on the Palestinians. Mr Abbas said the best solution would still be to form a national unity government of experts.
This had reduced the income of Palestinians by 51%, he said, with salaries unpaid for eight months. But months of talks between Hamas and Fatah on such an administration have foundered.
He also denied there had been a conspiracy to kill Prime Minister Ismail Haniya of Hamas this week. Tens of thousands of Hamas supporters rallied on Friday
Before the speech it was widely thought, though, that Mr Abbas would be very unlikely to go so far as naming a date for early polls. At the end of a long and indignant speech, there finally came the moment Mr Abbas's supporters had been waiting for - a call for new elections. But the Hamas government reacted immediately, saying it was "a coup against Palestinian legitimacy and the will of the Palestinian people".
He knows that Hamas will bitterly oppose new elections, seeing it as a Fatah faction manoeuvre designed to reverse the mandate it won in January's vote. Ahmed Yousef, an adviser to the Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, said the call for elections was a recipe for internal strife.
Hamas boycotted Mr Abbas's speech to the Palestinian parliament, in protest at "dangerous and bloody" recent events. "I think this will lead to bloodshed because this is something against the constitution. This is something which is not in his authority and I think the president by his call today became part of the problem, not part of the solution."
Bad relations Hamas members boycotted Mr Abbas's speech to the Palestinian parliament, in protest at "dangerous and bloody" recent events.
Egyptian diplomats based in Gaza are trying to mediate between the two sides. 'No conspiracy'
They have stepped in a number of times before to calm the situation provoked by the chronically bad relations between Hamas, the largest faction, and Fatah.
But the diplomats' task may be tougher than ever, amid a sense that the current tensions are on a higher plane than seen previously, our correspondent Alan Johnston says.
Speaking from Damascus, Hamas's exiled leader Khaled Mashaal called for restraint to "protect Palestinian blood" and "Palestinian unity".
We did not join this movement to become ministers but rather to become martyrs Ismail HaniyaPalestinian Prime Minister In pictures: Rivals clash Q&A: Palestinian crisis
In an interview broadcast by Hamas radio in Gaza City, Mr Mashaal said: "Our fight is against the [Israeli] occupation and we will not let ourselves be drawn into a civil war."
The past week has been marked by attacks, counter-attacks and mutual accusations.The past week has been marked by attacks, counter-attacks and mutual accusations.
Hamas blamed Fatah for a shooting that targeted PM Ismail Haniya on Thursday. Hamas blamed Fatah for a shooting that targeted PM Ismail Haniya on Thursday, but Mr Abbas, in his speech, denied there had been any conspiracy to kill Mr Haniya.
Mr Haniya's car was attacked by gunmen while crossing into Gaza from Egypt, and one of his bodyguards died in the incident.
A Hamas spokesman blamed a senior Fatah official, former security chief Mohammad Dahlan, for the attack - an accusation he rejected.
The shoot-out at the Rafah border crossing led to more clashes on Friday, both in the West Bank and in Gaza City.The shoot-out at the Rafah border crossing led to more clashes on Friday, both in the West Bank and in Gaza City.
Some 32 people were injured when Palestinian police loyal to Fatah fought Hamas supporters in the West Bank town of Ramallah.Some 32 people were injured when Palestinian police loyal to Fatah fought Hamas supporters in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
Egyptian diplomats based in Gaza have been trying to mediate in the current crisis.
They have stepped in a number of times before to calm the situation provoked by the chronically bad relations between Hamas, the largest faction, and Fatah but the current tensions are at their worst for years.