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Within a year of elections that returned hard-line Hamas into power resulting in the abortion of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and internal discord and civil-war conditions, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced plans that he is pushing ahead with early elections. Hamas's insistence on not respecting earlier commitments by Palestinian negotiators or refusing to renounce violence has resulted in financial sanctions on Palestinian Administration (PA) bringing it to financial bankruptcy.
Moreover, internal differences have recently escalated to dangerous levels as the Fattah party and Hamas loyalties clouded administration, approaches to resolving financial difficulties, strategy to negotiate with Israel etc. Acrimonious arguments graduated to mafia type hits, abductions, armed take-over of posts, etc prompting Jordan King Abdullah to say that Palestinian Territories faced a civil war situation. Abbas, a moderate, wants to settle differences with Israel as he believes that both "need each other." Hamas on the other hand wants armed resistance that the US says is funded by Iran. Of course, Tehran dismisses these charges as US propaganda.
Addressing a joint news conference with visiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Abbas said he hoped that his peace platform will convince Palestinians to vote for peace empowering him to shutdown Hamas. Blair praised Abbas and urged the international community to rally behind the moderate leader. Predictably, rejected Abbas's suggestion and charged him with subverting the Constitutional process by organizing a ""coup against sovereignty and democracy" and illegally toppling the government.
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Despite the public rhetoric, both sides announced that they have negotiated a truce to end the week-long violence. On the ground, fewer gunmen were seen in the streets than earlier but there was sporadic fighting in middle of Gaza city between masked men armed with rifles, grenades, and rocket launchers. Abbas vowed that he will continue "for early presidential and legislative elections," and violence will not deter him from this plan. Abbas himself may run again for office, even though he had announced that he will not seek reelection. A recently conducted poll found Abbas tied with Haniyeh, the Hamas leader and also the serving Prime Minister but aides say that the numbers could change because Abbas is more decisive now and has a plan in place.
Abbas may also gain Israeli and Western support although it is not clear what that might be because of his new found urgency to make peace. Earlier, he had indicated his readiness to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert but did not take the step. Now he says that he is "ready" to meet him "any time" to "deal with our problems." Apparently, Abbas had also canvassed Blair's support to "intensify Arab and international efforts" to return to the peace process.
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