The Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has signed a decree for holding of presidential and parliamentary elections on January 24th next year. The announcement has however deepened division between Fatah and Hamas factions. The vote is supposed to take place in the West Bank, controlled by Mr. Abbas and the Gaza strip which is ruled by its rival faction Hamas. Hamas has rejected the call for election saying it is illegal and unconstitutional. A senior Hamas official told a news conference in Gaza that Mr. Abbas's rule is illegitimate.