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Saturday, Nov 20, 2004

International

International

Palestinians explore national unity government

By Atul Aneja

RAMALLAH, NOV. 19. Palestinian leaders are examining ways to form a government of national unity after the presidential polls on January 9 are held.

The Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), Mahmoud Abbas, told Palestinian television that a committee comprising all factions has been formed to discuss this proposal in greater detail.

Militants non-committal

Analysts point out that the formation of a broad-based government would acquire greater significance if key militant groups such as the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad also participated. But when contacted by The Hindu, Nafez Azzam, a senior member of Islamic Jihad said Mr. Abbas had not suggested formation of national unity government during his meetings in Gaza over the last few days with 13 Palestinian factions including the Islamic Jihad and Hamas.

"We discussed a number of issues including the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, elections and internal organisational matters. But this subject of national unity government was not proposed", he said. Responding to Mr. Abbas' statement, Ahmad Harb, who teaches at the Birzeit University in Ramallah, said that in the present circumstances, it was unlikely that groups such as the Hamas and Islamic Jihad would participate in a unity government.

"The Hamas and the Islamic Jihad are likely to be in the reckoning once they do well in elections to the Palestinian Parliament. Their popularity in Gaza has grown in recent years and this may show in the polls." It is widely expected that elections to the Palestinian Parliament will be held in the middle of 2005. Asked whether his organisation was willing to participate in parliamentary elections, Mr. Azzam said Islamic Jihad would field candidates provided the basic electoral law governing the polls was changed. "We have to work out an arrangement for elections that is not derived from the Oslo Accords, which we reject".

Mr. Azzam, however, said his group would not raise objections if international bodies such as the United Nations were invited as observers during the polls.

Abbas for presidency

Meanwhile, Tayeb Abdel Rahim, a senior Palestinian official, said on Thursday that Fatah — a key umbrella organisation which represents the Palestinian national movement, would nominate Mr. Abbas as its candidate for the January presidential elections.

He clarified that the post of the Chairman of the PLO and that of the Palestinian Authority President would be headed by a single individual. While the PLO Chairman represents all Palestinians, including those residing abroad in refugee camps, the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority is confined only to the territories of the West Bank and the Gaza.

Sharon's demand

As the Palestinians grapple with the situation arising after the death of their leader, Yasser Arafat, the Israeli Prime Minster, Ariel Sharon, has demanded that all hostile propaganda against Israel should stop. Dropping earlier demands that the Palestinian Authority must dismantle militant groups, Mr. Sharon said talks with the Palestinians could be restarted if incitement against Israel ceased. But rejecting Mr. Sharon's assertion, the Palestinian Authority said Israel must drop all conditions for resuming a dialogue.

Mr. Sharon's statement comes ahead of a proposed visit to Ramallah next week by the U.S. Secretary of State. The British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, is also expected to visit the Palestinian territories and Israel shortly.

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