The Palestinian Authority denied Wednesday an Egyptian report that it had reached an agreement with Israel on the basic principles of a peace deal, but said that the two sides had worked out the logistics of elections for Yasser Arafat's successor.
The two sides have reached an agreement to hold the elections using the same procedures that were in place for the last Palestinian ballot, said Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat. "We received assurances that the elections of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip will take place as they did in 1996," Erekat said. "I am satisfied with that. I am happy."
The United States and Israel have earlier downplayed the Egyptian report that Israel and the PA have reached an agreement on the principles of final deal.
Israel Radio reported Wednesday that a spokesman for the State Department in Washington said that the U.S. has no information on the issue, while Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described the report as "detached from reality."
Egypt's official news agency MENA reported Tuesday afternoon that the parties have agreed in principle to proposals which could serve as the basis of a comprehensive settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. MENA added that important progress had been gained via international efforts to end Israeli-Palestinian violence. But both sides to the conflict termed talk of a deal "premature."
"High-level sources confirmed an important understanding - reaching the point of an agreement in principle - has been completed between Egypt, Israel, the Palestinians and several active international parties, America and Europe, regarding a comprehensive settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian struggle," MENA said.
