RAMALLAH, West Bank, 24 May 2005 — The Palestinian Election Commission signaled yesterday that a parliamentary vote set for July 17 would have to be postponed because it needs more time to prepare.

The election is a key element in democratic reforms pursued by President Mahmoud Abbas to help revive peace talks with Israel aimed at Palestinian statehood and any delay could raise uncertainty benefiting armed factions.

The independent election commission said it needed at least two months from the time a new election law is ratified to lay the groundwork for voting.

But Abbas, who has repeatedly vowed to hold the vote as scheduled, is locked in a dispute with lawmakers over electoral reforms that has left the new legislation in limbo.

The Palestinian Authority has been concerned that the July 17 vote may be put off since the Parliament passed the controversial new bill on May 18 despite objections from Abbas.

Abbas, who is due to meet US President George W. Bush at the White House on Thursday, has yet to decide whether to ratify the law or send it back to parliament, which could mean pushing back the election.

He wants the law altered so more deputies are elected from party lists rather than being picked directly — a change that would mean a greater number of candidates chosen on the basis of party policies rather than local loyalties.

The standoff pits Abbas against many within his Fatah movement, which dominates the parliament. The amendment Abbas wants might harm the prospects of some Fatah candidates with strong local powerbases while strengthening Hamas militants who plan to run in a Palestinian parliamentary election for the first time.

Meanwhile, a team of Egyptian mediators was to hold talks in the Gaza Strip today with PA security chiefs and leaders of the main militant groups in a bid to shore up a troubled truce.

A bout of mortar attacks in the occupied territory last week has put the biggest strain on the informal truce since it began in January, and prompted calls by senior Israeli Army officers to delay the planned pullout of troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip.

However, in a speech in New York overnight, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon again stressed his commitment to his so-called disengagement plan which he said would help ensure Jews remain a majority within the state of Israel.

The Egyptian delegation is led by Gen. Mustafa Al-Buheiri, assistant to intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, who was instrumental in securing a formal announcement on the “cool-down” at talks in Cairo in March.

The mediators were scheduled to first meet security officials in Gaza City before holding talks with the leaders of groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad.