Abbas to call early poll after talks fail

RAMALLAH - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas plans to call early elections, seeing little point in further talks on a government to replace a Hamas-led coalition boycotted by the West, aides said yesterday.

Abbas told senior Palestinian officials "he has gone a long way to form a unity government but he failed" because Hamas objected to joining a coalition that met world demands to renounce violence and recognise Israel, an aide said.

The official said Abbas would announce in a speech this week that he had no alternative but to go back to the people and call early elections.

Talks between Abbas' Fatah movement and Hamas broke down last month.

- REUTERS