RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian leadership in the West Bank on Saturday promised to hold long-overdue general elections by September, a surprise move spurred by political unrest rocking the Arab world and embarrassing television leaks about peace talks with Israel.
In principle, elections could help end the deep political split between West Bank-based President Mahmoud Abbas and the Islamic militant Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, the other territory the Palestinians want for their state.
Hamas immediately ruled out participation, saying the vote was meant to divert attention from the scandal caused by the secret documents uncovered by the Al-Jazeera satellite channel last month.
Still, it could become difficult for Hamas to reject elections at a time of growing calls for democracy throughout the Middle East. Hamas itself has praised the downfall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak as a victory for the Egyptian people.
In a sign of the political damage caused by the leaks, chief Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erekat announced his resignation Saturday.
Erekat has been widely vilified since Al-Jazeera, citing hundreds of internal documents, alleged last month that Palestinian negotiators secretly offered far-reaching concessions to Israel.
Abbas aide Yasser Abed Rabbo said Saturday, “We call on parties to put aside all of their differences and to focus on conducting the elections by September at the latest.”
The announcement appeared to be an act of desperation by an embattled government that has been weakened by the standstill in peace efforts with Israel, its rivalry with Hamas and the loss of its key Arab ally in Egypt.
With the call for elections, Abbas is trying to signal that he is attentive to his people’s demands. By putting his job on the line, he can portray himself as a leader committed to democracy.
It was not clear whether Abbas, who has said he would step down after his current term, would seek re-election.
