Abbas on government, elections focus of dailies

The three Palestinian dailies Thursday highlighted President Mahmoud Abbas reaffirming that conducting elections is a requirement to form the new government. Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported on Abbas saying, during his meeting with the elected heads of  local councils, that the Palestinian leadership aspires to end the internal division and achieve reconciliation because it is the Palestinian concern. It quoted Abbas saying that Hamas does not wish to hold elections during the timeframe agreed on in Doha.Al-Ayyam’s front page headline quoted Abbas saying that he anticipating a US move to break the stalemate in the peace process. Al-Hayat al-Jadida said prisoners held in Israeli jails will launch a one-day hunger strike in solidarity with the prisoners who have been on a long hunger strike. Al-Ayyam printed a photo of Gaza borders with Egypt of Egyptian security forces shutting down tunnels with Rafah by flooding them with water. It reported on Minister of Finance Nabeel Kassis saying that PA will pay part of the January salary in the next 10 days. Al-Hayat al-Jadida said the new US Secretary of State John Kerry has affirmed the US remains an essential party in the peace process.