Fatah and Hamas set for unity talks

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Delegations from Fatah and Hamas are in Egypt to resume talks aimed at reviving a national dialogue agreement between the two groups.

Members from the two factions headed to the Egyptian intelligence headquarters on Monday to begin the latest round of reconciliation talks.

The delagates will also hold talks with Omar Suleiman, Egypt's intelligence chief.

Fatah and Hamas have so far failed to reach agreement on the formation of a transitional national unity government pending legislative and presidential elections.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/04/200942710711990285.html

[azurnoir]

1. Abbas calls for all-inclusive unity government

Ramallah – Ma’an – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for the creation of a Palestinian government that encompasses the political spectrum on Monday as his Fatah movement went into another round of negotiations with its opponent, Hamas.

”We are about to start a new round of national dialogue. The Palestinian leadership wants a Palestinian government fromed from all colors of the political spectrum, that believes in international legitimacy so that we can reach solutions to the problems facing our people and then we can embark on Palestinian presidential and legislative elections,” said Abbas, speaking to the Palestinian Youth Parliament in Ramallah.

Alluding to the dispute over whether the Palestinian government should recognize Israel and abide by past Palestinian agreements, Abbas noted that “forces don’t need to accept what the government accepts, and we say that the government has to accept the international legitimacy.”

http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=37408

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2. Well, this is nice new rhetoric, but we still have to iron out who's the boss.

The sticking point from the beginning has been that Hamas feels they won the election fair and square, and they are not going to be second class members of the "unity" government, which on the other hand they have been eager to form all along too. Hmmmm ...

[ProgressiveMuslim]

3. Not to mention that Abbas' term has expired!!!

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4. That's just a technical detail.

Look how long Olmert managed to hang around after he "resigned".

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5. Palestinian rivals end unity talks

Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah have concluded Egyptian-mediated talks without reaching an agreement on forming a unity government.

The talks in Cairo, aimed at reaching a unity deal before elections in 2010, came to a close on Tuesday, with the two factions agreeing to meet again on May 16.

Most international powers say they will only deal with a Palestinian government that recognises Israel, a concession that Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, is unwilling to make.

Egyptian mediators have suggested that Hamas stay out of the transitional government and instead enable Mahmoud Abbas, the Fatah leader and Palestinian president, who already has the West's backing, to run it.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/04/2009428194056212847.html