Palestinian official: Abbas does not want to seek re-election

Nov 5, 2009, 13:20 GMT

Ramallah - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas does not want to seek a second term in office, a senior Palestinian official said Thursday.

Abbas told the meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organization's executive that he does not want to run in the upcoming presidential and legislative elections, scheduled for January 24, said Yaser Abed Rabbo, a member of the executive committee.

Abbas has faced several setbacks in recent months, the most serious being US backtracking on its call to Israel to halt settlement construction in order to re-launch the peace process suspended since December.

Abed Rabbo said the PLO Executive Committee urged Abbas not to pull out of the elections and insisted that the he remain its candidate for president in January.

'President Mahmoud Abbas is not only Fatah's choice for president, he is also the PLO's choice and the choice of the Palestinian people everywhere,' he said.

Abbas is head of Fatah movement, the largest Palestinian political faction. He is also PLO chairman.

Abed Rabbo said Abbas was needed at this time to continue the political process. He added that the PLO backs Abbas' decision not to resume negotiations before Israel halts all settlement construction.