The Palestinian president says he will call elections in early 2009 if unity talks don't begin between his Fatah faction and its Hamas rivals.
Mahmoud Abbas says that if the sides don't start talking to each other by the beginning of the year, he will call elections for the presidency and for the Palestinian parliament.
Elections remain unlikely though, as Abbas' moderate government rules only the West Bank while the Hamas controls the Gaza Strip.
The violent split has paralyzed the Palestinians' fledgling democratic system.
Abbas was speaking today (November 22,2008) in Ramallah to leaders of the Fatah-dominated Palestine Liberation Organization.
Hamas says Abbas' four-year term in office is up on January 9, 2009.
But because of a contradictory Palestinian election law, Abbas has said the next election should be held simultaneously with a parliamentary vote scheduled in 2010.
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