Mahmoud Abbas prepared to back early elections

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday said he will support an expected decision by a top PLO decision-making body to call early elections. Abbas made the announcement ahead of a gathering of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Central Council. The council was expected to call for early elections as a way toward ending the bitter power struggle between Abbas' Fatah movement and Hamas. "This issue will be discussed in the council and when there is a decision for early elections, it is my responsibility to issue the decree for that. We will issue these decrees in the near future," Abbas said.