Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas changes election law

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Source: CCTV.com | 09-03-2007 09:49

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he wants a planned Middle East conference to lead to a framework peace agreement with Israel. And he has insisted that peace negotiations with Israelis fall under the jurisdiction of the president.

Abbas has also announced changes to the Palestinian election law aimed at bolstering his Fatah party against the rival Hamas group.

Abbas's comments came after a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana in the West Bank. Solana is on a visit to Jerusalem and the West Bank to lay groundwork for the conference set for November.

When asked whether Hamas's absence from government undermines the legitimacy of peace negotiations with Israel, Abbas said the peace negotiations fall under the jurisdiction of the president, along with the Palestinian Liberation Organization. He said no government has jurisdiction over the process.

But the president stressed that if negotiations result in a workable solution, it must be subject to a national referendum or reviewed by the Palestinian National Council.