Hamas should not be allowed to “stifle the democratic expression of Palestinians”, the British Foreign Secretary said, after the Islamist movement rejected a call for elections.
William Hague, who was speaking at a press conference with President Abbas in London, welcomed the call by the Palestinian leadership for elections by September, but added: “I condemn the rejection of these by Hamas.”
Hamas, which controls Gaza while President Abbas’s secular Fatah faction controls the West Bank, has said that it will not participate in elections without a reconciliation deal between the two warring factions.
Mr Abbas said: “We are ready to have legislative and presidential elections and we leave the ballot boxes to speak for themselves . . . and whoever wins will take the helm.”
Mr Hague also pressed for the resumption of peace talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.
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“Without this we cannot reach a political solution without Palestinian reconciliation.” Mr Hague pressed for a resumption in peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and said Britain, France and Germany were pushing for clearer parameters for any new negotiations.