Al Fatah and Hamas make progress
Egypt: Representatives of Palestinian Al-Fatah pronounced on
Wednesday that the fourth round of talks for sustained reconciliation
with rival Hamas were successful, and that a mid May meeting should be
decisive.
A negotiator for Al-Fatah, the group led by Palestinian National
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, asserted important progress and
consensus in the two-day talks in Cairo despite lack of definitive
agreements.
Egyptian Intelligence Service Chief Gen. Omar Suleiman acted as
mediator in the negotiations and held separate meetings with Al-Fatah
and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
According to Al-Fatah representative Azzam El-Ahmad, quoted by state
MENA news agency, concrete responses to the Egyptian proposal, including
formation of a national unity government, reorganization of Palestinian
security authorities and reform of the Palestine Liberation
Organization, are expected at the fifth round of talks in Cairo May
16-17.
Hamas negotiator Mahmoud Al-Zahar told Palestinian Ma an news agency
they also tackled issues related to a system for the 2010 presidential
and legislative elections.
Al-Zahar said Egypt insisted on the need to end the rivalries between
the blockaded Gaza Strip, under control of Hamas, and the occupied West
Bank, headquarters of the PNA.
The issues of security and the PLO were the most complicated because
that authority has tried unsuccessfully for Hamas to recognize the State
of Israel and give up armed resistance against Israel’s occupation of
Palestinian territories.
Another Hamas representative, Ezat El-Rishq, said the discussions
atmosphere as positive and agreed with Al-Fatah that significant
progress was made on some issues, thanks to Hamas’ flexibility on the
PLO issue, he remarked.
Meanwhile, the AL-Fatah representative affirmed “the greatest
progress was in elections and security, and the consensus that the PLO
is the single legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.”.
The two movements agreed to form a national committee led by
President Abbas to determine the mechanism to shape the Palestinian
National Council. Cairo, Prensa Latina |
