Head of Palestinian Fatah parliamentary bloc Azzam al-Ahmad
said yesterday that the national dialogue would continue in Ramallah at
President Mahmoud Abbas' office.
The national dialogue, which held its first session on May 25-26, aims to get
the Palestinians out of political and fiscal crisis and bridge gaps between
feuding factions, especially the ruling Hamas and rival Fatah headed by Abbas,
said Ahmad.
The conferees formed a committee to report Hamas final response to a proposal
submitted by Palestinian prisoners earlier in May, which calls for settling the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and creating a Palestinian state in the territories
captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East War.
On Monday, members of the committee will meet Hamas leaders in Gaza,
including Prime Minister Ismail Haneya, "to hear the Hamas' final formula,"
Ahmad told Voice of Palestine.
Representatives of national and Islamic factions will also attend the meeting
between Hamas leaders and the committee, which comprises Abbas' representative
Rawhi Fatouh and representative of business sector Moneeb al-Masri.
Abbas will call for a referendum on the proposal if Hamas does not accept it.
"If Hamas' attitude was not positive, then today's meeting would have the
final decision in the light of the ultimatum given by Abbas," said Ahmad.
Besides Hamas, the Islamic Jihad also boycotts the plan, which is also known
as Document of National Accordance, for including implicit recognition of
Israel.
Ahmad has rejected calls by Hamas to modify the proposal, mainly the articles
which urge the adoption of relevant UN resolutions, saying the modification will
"lead to obstruct the dialogue."
He also denounced remarks made by Haneya who said that Abbas had no right to
call for a referendum.
Abbas on May 25 gave Hamas 10 days to make decision on whether to accept the
proposal. If Hamas does not agree, a referendumwould be called within 40
days.