Erakat slams Sharon decision to freeze contacts with Palestinians

GAZA CITY, Jan 14 (AFP) - Palestinian negotiations minister Saeb Erakat criticized Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's decision to freeze official contacts with the Palestinians Friday following an overnight bomb attack that killed six Israelis.
"We reject the freezing of contacts announced by Israel as well as the criticism addressed at (Palestinian leader-elect) Mahmud Abbas because he does not officially take office until Saturday," Erakat told AFP.
"The best way to relaunch the peace process is not to freeze contacts but to resume them."
Abbas was elected president of the Palestinian Authority in a landslide election Sunday.
A Sharon advisor told AFP that the prime minister had cut off all official contact with the Palestinians Friday after the bombing at a border crossing in the Gaza Strip coordinated by three Palestinian militant groups.

01/14/2005 19:09 GMT - AFP