Ramallah, Dec 15 (DPA) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated Tuesday his determination not to seek re-election to the presidency, and said he had other options, which he would announce at a later date.
“I will not run again for the presidency in any upcoming presidential elections,” the president told the 129-member Palestine Liberation Organisation Central Council meeting in Ramallah, repeating an announcement originally made Nov 5.

The council is expected during its two day meeting to formally ask Abbas to say in power until new elections can be held.

The Palestinian Central Election Commission said at the end of November that it could not organize the elections by their due date of Jan 24, because of the political split between the West Bank, administered by the Palestinian Authority, and the Gaza Strip, which is run by the Islamist Hamas movement.

Hamas rejected holding elections until a reconciliation pact is signed, ending a bitter rift between it and Abbas’ Fatah party.

Abbas was elected President in January 2005, following the death several weeks earlier of Yasser Arafat.