The Palestinian president said Thursday he does not want to run for another term in January elections, blaming a deadlock in peace talks on Israel and the United States. In a televised speech, Mahmoud Abbas said he has told his "brothers" in the Fatah movement of his "desire not to run in the upcoming elections."
“I told the members of the PLO Executive and Fateh Central Committees that I am not willing to run for the next presidential elections, This decision is not a sort of bargaining, maneuvering or bidding,” he said.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she looked forward to working with Abbas in "any new capacity." "He reiterated his personal commitment to do whatever he can to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ... I look forward to working with President Abbas in any new capacity," she added, according to Reuters.
© 2009 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
