Haniya welcomes Mubarak's call for inter-Palestinian dialogue

Editorial Note: The following news reports may be summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology.

[ 26/06/2007 - 07:23 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Ismail Haniya, the prime minister of the PA caretaker government, has welcomed Tuesday the call of Egyptian president Husni Mubarak on Palestinian factions to engage in comprehensive dialogue in order to resolve their internal rows.

“The Egyptian invitation reflects Egypt’s understanding and awareness of the sensitivity and complication of the current stage that could only be solved through dialogue”, said a responsible Palestinian source, affirming that Haneyya was ready to immediately start the dialogue.

Haniya and Hamas Movement had repeatedly urged Abbas to sit with them on the dialogue table and to discuss all political disputes and differences between Hamas and Fateh faction, the two largest factions in the Palestinian arena.

But Abbas rejected the call and insisted he will not hold talks with Hamas anymore.

However, Abbas announced that his hand was stretched to the Israelis for peace talks, thus, leaving unsolicited feeling of resentment in the Palestinian street for abandoning his fellow Palestinians and for rushing towards the Israelis.

Abbas met with Israeli premier Ehud Olmert in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm Al-Shaikh on Monday in the presence of Jordanian monarch Abdullah II, and Mubarak.

During the summit, Abbas said that the current atmosphere was ripe for reaching a final peace settlement, warning that the region was at a historical crossroad, and concerned parties must choose between peace and terrorism.

In an unrelated matter, three Palestinian parliamentary blocs rejected Abbas’s decree which obligates all Palestinian public and private societies to apply for new work permits, charging that such an edict hits essence of democracy and freedom in Palestine.

“It is obvious that the decree was transgressing all laws in the PA basic law that sanctioned the freedom of social societies to lawfully practice their duties in the Palestinian arena, and it clearly gives the executive branch the full authority to meddle in and influence the operation of those societies”, affirmed the PFLP, Al-Badil, and independent Palestine blocs in the PLC.

They also affirmed that the edict constitutes a serious setback to democracy in Palestine, urging Abbas to revoke the decree for the best of the Palestinian citizenry, and to preserve democracy in Palestine.

Abbas had earlier issued a bundle of “hasty” edicts including obligating all existing Palestinian social societies to reapply for new permits while giving his interior minister the full right to approve or disapprove the new applications.

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