Joint committees are working on issues including a transitional unity government for the West Bank and Gaza, new elections and security reforms.
One senior military aide declined to discuss the substance of the calls but said broadly that the two officers discussed the situation in Egypt "with regard to elections and security issues in the Sinai".
But so far, the sides have failed to reach agreement on crucial issues like terms for a unity government, a formula for holding new Palestinian legislative and presidential elections, and security arrangements.
The military and police were out in full force on Sunday to protect the elections, and security concerns were high enough to warrant canceling flights from the United States.
Of course, this ignores the role of FPI leaders in human rights abuses following their electoral victory in 2000, when Ouattara was denied the right to take part in both presidential and legislative elections and security forces violently suppressed protests by his supporters.
In the period leading to Afghanistan's presidential elections, which are scheduled for Oct. 9, in which President Hamid Karzai is facing 22 challengers, United States troops have been ordered to make the election process, and security for the elections, their priority.
According to what "Western officials" told the Times, the fraud included ballot-box stuffing, citizens forced to cast their votes at gunpoint, corrupt election officials and security forces complicit with corrupt candidates.
The fraud, which included ballot-box stuffing, citizens forced to cast their votes at gunpoint, corrupt election officials and security forces complicit with corrupt candidates, is expected to mean that 800,000 to a million votes will be nullified, according to two Western officials who are following the election closely.
In Egypt, UNDP is available to support the election process and security sector reform.
