Rival Fatah, Hamas want national unity government

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-10-04 21:55

GAZA - Leaders of Rival Fatah and Islamic Hamas movements said respectively on Saturday that they want to form a national unity government to rebuild the security forces and prepare for elections.

Egypt is mediating a comprehensive Palestinian dialogue scheduled to start in early November in Cairo under an Arab sponsorship. Egypt will prepare a document for all the factions to approve.

Musa Abu Marzooq, a senior Hamas leader, said "we hope that the coming round of inter Palestinian dialogue due to take place in Cairo this month would lead to constructive results that achieves national unity."

Egyptian security officials have held through September separate bilateral dialogue with leaders of each of the 12 Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas. Bilateral talks between a Hamas delegation and Egypt is due to take place on October 7.

"The scheduled meeting with the Egyptian side will tackle essence of Palestinian disputes, which are related to rebuilding the security apparatuses, forming a national unity government and preparing for the elections," he said.

One of the major disputes between the two rival movements is the presidential term of Mahmoud Abbas, which Hamas insists would end on January 8, 2009.

Fatah said the presidential and legislative elections have to be held at the same time in January 2010. Both Fatah and Hamas fear for an institutional vacuum if the two sides can not reach an agreement on the issue.

The leaders of both Fatah and Hamas would focus in their dialogue in Cairo on ending the current political split, forming a national unity government and resolving the constitutional disputes on the presidential elections.

Hamas insists that a national unity government based on previous agreements has to be formed consisting of both Hamas and Fatah ministers, while Fatah and other factions seek to form a technocrat government.

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