Fatah urges understanding over elections

An official from Palestinian faction Fatah has claimed that the right to vote is fundamental for the Palestinian people, and should not be tied to partisan and foreign agendas.   Amin Maqbul, secretary-general of the Fatah movement's Revolutionary Council said that the West Bank ruling party is keen to work with other movements, including Gaza-based Hamas, to ensure free and fair elections for Palestinians. "We ?wish to agree on elections with all forces, including Hamas. We want elections to be held in the ?West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem." Maqbul denied that Hamas had refused the Palestinian Authority's (PA) conditions for elections, but added that that PA would make tough decisions to follow through with its proposals. The Fatah official also ruled out declaring the Gaza Strip as "a rebel region". "This has not been discussed by the Palestinian leadership, he said.? Maqbul defended the decision to hold peace talks with Israel, adding that opening dialogue was better than not doing so in the circumstances. Israeli media reported that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would declare Gaza Strip "a rebel region," if Hamas refuses to participate in elections.