Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas defended his decision on Monday to allow the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to race in Wednesday's Palestinian parliamentary elections.

In an interview with a local Palestinian TV, Abbas also voiced his hope that Hamas will change its positions after officially joining the Palestinian politics and becoming a part of it.

However, Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Nabil Shaath, who is a senior member of Abbas' ruling Fatah movement, said that Hamas has to agree on the principle of peace with Israel if it wants to join the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

In addition, Shaath said that he was confident that Fatah will win a landslide victory in the upcoming ballot and form a government on its own.

But the minister also indicated that Fatah was willing to set up a coalition government with Palestinians parties that are willing to negotiate with Israel and follow the internationally-backed roadmap peace plan which envisions an independent Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.

Palestinians will head to the polling stations to elect a new legislature on Wednesday.

The key ballot is set to witness a fierce competition between Abbas' Fatah movement and the Islamic Hamas.

Hamas, sworn to Israel's destruction, has riding high on its massive street popularity and is expected to do well in its first legislative bid at the expense of Fatah.