voa标准英语2008年-Palestinian President: Early Elections if No Re

（单词翻译）

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he will call for early elections in 2009 if reconciliation¹ talks do not succeed between rival Palestinian factions³. VOA's Luis Ramirez reports from Jerusalem.
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (File)

The split between Mahmoud Abbas' moderate Fatah group and the militant⁴ Hamas faction² has virtually paralyzed the Palestinians' political system.

President Abbas addressed leaders of the Palestinian Liberation Organization meeting in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

Mr. Abbas said his faction wants dialogue and will do its best to keep the talks going. But he said that if that dialogue does not succeed, he will - at the beginning of next year - call for presidential and parliamentary elections.

The Palestinian leader, whose term technically⁵ ends on January 9, has previously⁶ threatened to call early elections if there is no deal between his group and Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since winning elections in 2006.

Hamas rejected Abbas' calls.

The group boycotted⁷ a meeting that was planned for earlier this month by Egypt, which is mediating⁸ reconciliation talks between the two Palestinian factions.

It is not clear how new elections would be conducted, since Abbas' Fatah governs only the West Bank, while the Gaza Strip has been under the firm control of Hamas.

The split has undermined the Palestinian Authority's peace efforts with the Israelis, who view Abbas as a moderate with whom they can negotiate. Israel rejects Hamas because it refuses to renounce⁹ violence and does not recognize the Jewish state's right to exist.

Some in Israel oppose early elections in the Palestinian territories out of concern that Hamas might win any new poll.

An Israeli newspaper, Ha'aretz, published details of a defense¹⁰ paper to be presented next month, recommending that Israel prevent elections in the Palestinian territories.

The document warns that the disappearance¹¹ of Mahmoud Abbas from the Palestinian political scene might cause the Palestinian Authority to collapse, killing¹³ prospects¹⁴ for a two-state solution.