President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday he wants to make sure any vote takes place in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip as well as the West Bank, which he controls.

That is the same reason he gave for pushing back the vote the last time, from July 9 to Oct. 22.

Palestinian democracy has been crippled since Hamas violently overran Gaza in June 2007, setting up a rival government to Abbas’ Palestinian Authority.

Abbas has overstayed his own term and is currently ruling in the West Bank by decree.

Hamas-Fatah talks on implementing a recent reconciliation pact are stuck.