Abbas wants peace within a year
Friday, 27 Jul 2007 09:32
The Palestinian Authority president said that president Bush is taking a keen interest in the peace process
Israel/Palestine In Focus
Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas has said that he hopes to reach a "comprehensive peace" agreement with Israel "within one year".
Talk of a peace process between Palestine and Israel has intensified after Mr Abbas dissolved the national unity government formed with Israel's sworn enemy, Hamas.
Speaking to Israel's Maariv newspaper, Mr Abbas spoke about the role the United States is playing in the peace process.
"The Americans are determined to push the sides to reach a peace agreement during President Bush's current term," he said.
"I heard this with my own ears from the president himself and from secretary of state Rice."
Commenting on the requirements for successful talks, Mr Abbas said: "We have to reach the final formula, the end game, and then think about the implementation and set a timetable for the implementation on the ground.
"The timetable may be long, but what is important is for the Palestinians to know the final result, the end game, from the outset."
The Fatah leader also spoke of the need for elections to be held soon and called for a new electoral system on the basis of a national ballot rather than multiple regional ballots.
Hamas, which won the previous elections, was scheduled to rule up to 2010 until the government was sacked following bitter fighting between the two groups over control of territory
The introduction of a new system is being seen as a move by Mr Abbas to sideline Hamas. According to Reuters, the changes take into account the results of the last election where Hamas gained a great victory in winning constituencies but only a minor victory on the nationwide vote.
The proposed changes will mean the results are judged on the basis of the national vote alone.