Abu Zuhri: PLO Central Council cannot make decisions regarding the government and PLC 

Saturday July 14, 2007 14:39 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies saed at imemc dot org

Hamas media spokesperson, Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, stated on Saturday that Hamas movement does not recognize the Palestinian Central Council of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), therefore it does not recognize its decisions regarding the government and the Legislative Council.

The statements of Abu Zuhri came after Nabil Abu Amro, media consultant of president Mahmoud Abbas, stated on Thursday that the Central Council will hold a meeting on July 18 in Ramallah to prepare for early elections in the Palestinian territories.

Abu Zuhri told the Palestine Newspaper that “It is clear that Abbas is trying to prepare for early elections, but we in Hamas reject this issue since it is illegal and violates the basic law”.

He added that the Central Council is a non-legitimate institution that cannot make any decision and that it does not have any authority over the government or the legislative council.

Abu Zuhri called on the Council to call of urgent elections in order to form a “central council of the PLO which represents all of the Palestinian people”.

He added that this council cannot force its decisions on the Palestinian people.

Israel allows five Palestinian leaders, amongst them Qaddoumi, to enter the West Bank for PLO Central Council meetings 

Date: 14 / 07 / 2007 Time: 10:56

Ramallah – Ma'an – 

Mahmoud Abbas, the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, has received permission from the Israeli occupation government to allow five PLO leaders to return to the West Bank, in order to participate in the Central Council meetings in Ramallah next Wednesday.

An important source told the London based Al Hayat paper that "Israel agreed to allow Farouq Al-Qaddoumi, Mohammed Jihad and Mohammed Ghunaim -all of Fateh-, to return alongside exiled Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) leader, Nayef Hawatmeh." In addition, a fifth, unnamed, Central Council member will also be able to enter the West Bank.

According to sources in the Fateh movement, President Abbas asked the permission of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for the entry of the five men during last week's meeting in the Egyptian resort of Sharm al Sheik.

The men were allowed to enter in 1996, in order to participate in the Palestinian National Council (PNC) meeting at that time, but they refused, as Israel set demands and certain conditions to their entry.

Al-Qaddoumi may not agree this time, as he reiterated earlier statements that he will not enter the Palestinian territories as long as they are still occupied.

In Israel, the decision to allow the five PLO members' entrance has been greeted with both support and opposition, dividing Cabinet ministers, with Likud party members largely opposed to the decision.

 

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