GAZA, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Azzahar said Tuesday that the Jan. 9 elections planned by the Palestinian Authority are "illegal and divided."
Azzahar told reporters following a two hour meeting with PLO chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza that "holding only presidential elections without general elections is illegal."
"Holding only presidential elections are a continuation of the Oslo agreement that Hamas rejects and which is over and expired," he said.
Azzahar said without holding general elections the face of the Palestinian Authority would remain the same and be dominated by Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement.
He called the Palestinian Legislative Council "illegal" and said its mandate for existing had long since expired.
Meanwhile, a senior Islamic Jihad leader announced that the movement decided not to participate in any presidential elections decided to be held on January 9.
Nafez Azzam, a senior Jihad leader in Gaza told reporters following a meeting held in Gaza with PLO chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Abu Mazen, that "despite the movement is concerned that these elections should succeed, but our decision not to participate in it."
He said the main reason the movement decided not to participate is that any elected president for the Palestinian (National) Authority "would of course contact the United States and the Zionist entity."
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