Hamas wants a new, more independent electoral commission
CAIRO: Rival Palestinian groups were wrangling yesterday over how to form a power-sharing government and what its stance should be toward previous peace agreements with Israel.
The Cairo talks mediated by Egypt aimed to lay the groundwork for a transitional government and then presidential and legislative elections. The formation of a unity government would also clear the way for desperately needed aid to be delivered to the Gaza Strip.
Delegates to the talks were trying to end divisions that deepened when the Hamas violently took control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, leaving the Fatah movement in charge only of the West Bank.
The rivals have been talking in Cairo since last Tuesday, but significant differences remain, especially on the timing and supervision of elections and whether a power-sharing deal will see Hamas become part of the Fatah-led PLO. The PLO is the Palestinian body that has signed partial peace deals with Israel, and the inclusion of Hamas could give it a say over the future of negotiations.
The disagreement between the rivals has held up some $5 billion in international aid for Gaza, which was devastated by Israel’s three-week offensive.
Several delegates to the talks detailed the main sticking points. They agreed to speak only on condition of anonymity because the talks were ongoing.
Fatah wants to form a government of technocrats under a political program that states clearly that it fully complies with past PLO agreements with Israel. That would amount to Hamas’ recognition of Israel.
The group, however, has refused to abandon the call in its founding charter for Israel’s destruction. Hamas is willing only to say it “respects” PLO agreements with Israel.
That point of disagreement was confirmed by Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum and Samir Ghosheh, a member of the executive committee of the Fatah-led PLO.
The two sides tried before to solve the thorny issue through different wordings, including in the short-lived unity government in 2006, but the results fell short of demands by the international community to have Hamas clearly agree to recognize Israel.
There are also disagreements over how to organize presidential and legislative elections, the delegates said. Hamas wants a new, more independent electoral commission that represents all Palestinian factions.
The talks had been scheduled to end last night.
