Bethlehem – Ma’an – PFLP politbureau member Maher At-Taher, criticized President Mahmud Abbas’ choice to call elections and simultaneously cling to reconciliation talks with Hamas.

At-Taher made the comments Saturday, following the Friday night announcement by Abbas that elections would be held on 24 January, and a Saturday speech wherein Abbas announced that negotiations with Hamas had lead to a dead end.

While the PFLP official offered no preference from his party as to whether or not talks should continue, he also made no condemnation of Abbas' late Friday night issue of a presidential decree that initiated the elections sequence set to culminate in a late-January vote.

At-Taher refuted claims by Hamas that the decree was illegal, calling it “constitutional," but worrying it was being used to solve a problem it could not. “The fact is that there is an authority in Gaza and another authority in Ramallah, there’s a deep division in the Palestinian arena and there can’t be elections without the national reconciliation," he said.

The PFLP official demanded more effort be expended to return to comprehensive dialogue so the division can end and elections go forward successfully.