RAMALLAH, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- A senior Palestinian official said on Thursday that the disagreements with the Islamic Hamas movement over holding the general elections in Palestine would not stop the Palestinian reconciliation dialogue.

Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of Fatah Movement's Central Committee, told reporters in Ramallah that Hamas and Fatah leaders will meet again "very soon" to discuss overcoming the previous disputes between the two movements.

"The efforts to end the internal division and build a national partnership have not and will not stop. We will continue our meetings soon to look for an agreed-upon formula that overcomes any differences," Rajoub said.

He unveiled that the recent meetings held in Egypt's Cairo a few days ago did not succeed in overcoming some of the differences, "because some parties within Hamas do not have an interest in ending the internal division."

Last week, Fatah and Hamas held several meetings in Cairo to discuss the reconciliation file, without making any progress on setting a date for the general elections and achieving reconciliation.

Hamas wanted a simultaneous holding of the legislative and the presidential elections in the Palestinian territories. Fatah officials refused Hamas's demand, according to sources speaking on condition of anonymity.

Rajoub said that Fatah agreed with Hamas to hold first the legislative elections and then the presidential elections with a time limit not exceeding six months.

He added that the requirement to hold the elections simultaneously "is unreasonable and illogical."

"We believe that the successive stages of holding the elections are the correct path to end the division and dismiss the internal and international concerns for the next stage," Rajoub said. Enditem

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