Palestinian factions reach historic reconciliation over polls

Cairo, Feb 10 : Leaders of a dozen Palestinian factions, including the two main rivals Fatah and Hamas, have concluded a two-day reconciliation dialogue in Egypt and agreed to cooperate to in holding the general elections this year.
The agreement will hopefully end a 14-year rift between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ ruling Fatah and the Islamic Hamas movement that controls the Gaza Strip, reports Xinhua news agency.
“National partnership is a complete path that starts with the legislative council elections, which is the first stage of the national council elections, followed by the elections for the presidency of the Palestinian Authority,” the factions said in an agreement issued here late Tuesday night.
In a presidential decree issued last month, Abbas announced that the legislative elections will be held on May 22, presidential elections on July 31, and the Palestinian National Council elections on August 31.
Jibril Rajoub, Secretary General of the Central Committee of Fatah, told Xinhua that the factions are committed to the timetable for holding the general elections in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip .
Rajoub, also head of the Fatah delegation to the dialogue, said all factions have vowed to respect the outcome of the general elections.