Hamas asks for more time to consider reconciliation deal

Hamas asks for more time to consider reconciliation dealGaza - Hamas has asked for three days in which to consider signing an Egyptian-mediated reconciliation agreement with the Fatah movement, Salah al-Bardawil, a spokesman for the Islamist organization, said Friday.

Fatah, the party of President Mahmoud Abbas, signed the agreement Wednesday. It seeks to end a more than two-year-old split among the Palestinians.

The 25-page reconciliation pact calls for Palestinian presidential and parliamentary elections to be held on June 28.

Fatah had demanded that the legislative elections be largely proportional, likely to act in its favour as Hamas unexpectedly won the last elections in 2006 when for the first time half the parliament seats were chosen through district representation.

But Hamas had insisted that a large part of the seats, at least 40 per cent, still be chosen through district representation.

The Egyptian compromise suggest that in the next poll, 75 per cent of the parliament seats be elected proportionally, and 25 per cent via district representation.

The sides will form no unity government as they had previously planned. Instead, the de-facto Hamas government will continue to rule Gaza until the elections, while the Ramallah-based government of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will continue to administer the West Bank. A joint factional committee is to oversee implementation of the agreement.

The Egyptians hope to hold a formal signing ceremony of the document in Cairo on October 25. A celebration was planned in late November at the end of the Muslim Eid el-Adha holiday.

Hamas and Fatah have been at loggerheads since the 2006 elections and their power struggle reached a height in June 2007. when Hamas forces overpowered the Fatah-dominated security headquarters of Abbas and violently seized sole control of Gaza.

Hamas had threatened not to sign the Egyptian proposal following Palestinian anger over Abbas' decision to delay a UN vote on a report accusing Israel - and Hamas - of having committed war crimes during last winter's Gaza war. (dpa)