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Government in West Bank can impede Palestinian unity: Palestinian Autonomy former presidential candidate

Politics Materials 16 May 2009 13:54 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, May 16 / Trend , U. Sadigova/

The formation of a new Palestinian government can prevent the free unification of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, said Moustapha Barghouti, head of the Palestinian National Initiative (Al Mubarada al Filastiniya Al Wataniya).

"The most important priority to unify the Palestinians groups but forming a new government could hurt the possibility of free unifying of the west bank and the Gaza Strip. We can not afford that," former presidential candidate in the Palestinian Autonomy Barghouti told Trend .

A new three-day negotiations between the ruling Palestinian party Fatah and resistance movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip since 2007, will begin in Cairo on Saturday. The aim of negotiations is to create a unified Palestinian government, which will include representatives of Fatah and Hamas, as well as members of other parties.

But on Thursday former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority Salem Fayyad announced the formation of a new Cabinet, the task given by President Mahmoud Abbas.

One of the main demands of the Palestinian parties participating in the national dialogue was the dissolution of Fayyad government as a result of which he resigned in April.

Head of Hamas politburo Khaled Mashaal announced boycott of Fayyad government and said that Fatah must agree to abide by all national dialogue, Al Jazeera website reported on Friday.

However, the representatives of Fatah in the legislative body of Autonomy said Fayyad government has no legal and constitutional rights.

Barghouti said many issues have been resolved during the national dialogue and the most important is that Fatah and Hamas will negotiate under democratic principles. 

"A lot of progress has been achieved [in truce between Fatah and Hamas]. The question is whether the two groups [Fatah and Hamas] will be able to sustain the external pressure," he said.

National Fatah-Hamas dialogue renewed after 22 days of Israeli attacks in Gaza against Hamas members, killing more than 1,300 Palestinians. Egypt, which mediates in the national Palestinian dialogue and negotiations between Hamas and Israel, called on Palestinian parties who have been hostile for two years, to establish a national government to prevent Israeli attacks.

A committee on defense forces which will include Fatah and Hamas is expected to be formed in the negotiations, head of the Fatah delegation to Cairo talks Nabil Shaat told Trend .

Shaat denied the existence of serious problems in the Palestinian negotiating parties, which would lead to the failure of national dialogue

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