[JURIST] After signing amended provisions of the Palestinian Basic Law [text] relating to elections over the weekend, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced Monday that parliamentary elections delayed in July [JURIST report] because of problems with the electoral law are now set for January 21, 2006. Palestinian Islamic resistance group Hamas had objected to the delay, and Abbas has expressed hope that a election date will lessen the chances that Hamas supporters will attempt to disrupt Israel's withdrawal from Gaza [JURIST news archive]. AP has more. The Palestinian Authority information service provides this press release.