BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A meeting held late Sunday to discuss political reconciliation failed to make progress as the Hamas movement rejected the idea of holding general elections, a Fatah official said.
Amin Maqboul, secretary-general of Fatah's revolutionary council, told Ma'an that Hamas rejected a proposal presented by Fatah to hold legislative, presidential and general elections.
Hamas said they wanted to implement all reconciliation issues at the same time.
Fatah proposed elections to maintain the legitimacy of political institutions as both sides failed to agree on other primary reconciliation issues, Maqboul added.
Both factions discussed politically motivated arrests and are cooperating to relieve the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.
President Abbas has been in contact with the Egyptian side to open Egypt's Rafah crossing, the Fatah official added.
Abbas dissolved the last unity government in June 2007. Since then, Fatah has dominated the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas has led a separate government in Gaza.
Repeated rounds of talks and reconciliation agreements have failed to reunite the Palestinians under a single government.
source: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=622056
