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Palestinian factions disagree on gov't formation, elections

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-15 09:55

GAZA - Palestinian factional leaders for intensive inter-reconciliation talks in Cairo said Saturday they failed to agree on the shape of a unity government and the elections, while making progress on security and reconciliation.

Senior Fatah leader Nabil Shaath said in a statement sent to reporters that factional representatives in five dialogue committees are expected to end their debates and discussions by Saturday evening.

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Senior delegations from the Islamist Hamas and the Western-backed Fatah faction of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas began discussion on Tuesday in committees they agreed to form in late February to resolve their differences.

The five committees were tasked respectively with forming a unity government, preparing for legislative and presidential elections, security forces, reconciliation and reforming Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

Shaath said there are two major issues still unresolved, which are related to the composition and obligation of the Palestinian unity government and the legislative and presidential elections.

"The issues that the conferees had agreed or disagreed upon would be conveyed later to a high dialogue steering committee. The committee will keep its meetings until March 23," said Shaath.

The committee would include Fatah leader Ahmed Qureia, Hamas deputy politburo Musa Abu Marzooq, other faction chiefs, senior Egyptian intelligence officials and Arab League representatives.

Meanwhile, other Palestinian officials also confirmed that the other committees, especially these deals with the forming of the government and reforming the PLO, were facing several obstacles.

The disagreements between rival Fatah and Hamas on forming a new government are what is the political platform of the government, and whether this platform would be committed to the signed agreements with Israel, according to a well-informed source.

The international Quartet demands that any new Palestinian government should recognize Israel's right to exist, accept previous interim agreements between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and condemn violence.

Hamas wants a new government with the same platform as the former unity government agreed to be formed in Mecca in February 2007, which says the government will respect the PLO commitments.

But Fatah movement is eager to form a new unity government with a political platform saying the government "abides by" the PLO commitments.

Radical Hamas reserves the right to fight Israel in spite of its declared readiness accept an 18-month truce with the Jewish state in the Gaza Strip, while Fatah has renounced violence and opts for peace negotiations to settle the chronic conflict with Israel.

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