Jordan Times
Friday, July 1, 2005
King meets Abbas, Fateh
committee
AMMAN (AFP) — The central committee of the dominant Palestinian movement Fateh
on Thursday opened its first full meeting since the death in November of its
founder, Yasser Arafat.
The Amman meeting was expected to discuss ways of modernising the party and
bringing in Hamas and Islamic Jihad into broad-based Palestinian political
organisations.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and exiled Fateh chief Farouk Kaddoumi also
used the occasion to try to overcome lingering differences that have long
troubled their relationship, officials said.
Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Nabil Shaath said the committee would focus on
“Fateh's internal situation and the renewal of the movement,” which has faced
demands by the new guard to modernise.
It will also discuss nominations for key posts within the Palestinian Authority,
plans to convene a Fateh Party congress and a meeting of the Palestine National
Council (PNC), the parliament-in-exile, officials said.
“The meeting will seek to assign a date and venue for a meeting of the PNC and
discuss its future composition... as well as the inclusion of Hamas and the
Islamic Jihad [in the PNC],” committee member Zakariya Agha told AFP.
The Palestinian leadership has held a series of discussions with various
factions in recent months, including Hamas and Jihad, in a bid to close ranks
and forge a united front ahead of the Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip.
Officials said Abbas and Kaddoumi held a meeting Wednesday to try to iron out
their differences.
“The meeting between Kaddoumi and Abbas was excellent and positive and is a good
omen for the internal organisation of Fateh,” Central Committee member Abbas
Zaki told AFP.
Earlier this month, Zaki said Kaddoumi was tipped to be made “vice president of
Palestine” and “vice president of the executive committee” of the Palestine
Liberation Organisation (PLO).
A senior Palestinian official told AFP on Thursday that Abbas asked Kaddoumi to
take over the two posts but the latter rejected the offer.
“Kaddoumi turned down the posts of vice president of the Palestinian Authority
and vice president of the PLO's executive committee during Wednesday evening's
meeting with Abbas,” said the official who declined to be identified.
“Kaddoumi insisted that he wanted to keep his post as chief of Fateh and head of
the PLO's political department,” he added.
Kaddoumi is based in Tunis and refuses to step foot in the Israeli-occupied
Palestinian territories.
Relations between Abbas and Kaddoumi have been notoriously difficult but the two
leaders met in Tunis at the end of May for the first time since Arafat's death.
The Central Committee will also seek to replace five members who have died over
the past few years to bring back its force to 21 members, officials said.
Meanwhile, His Majesty King Abdullah visited Abbas and his Prime Minister Ahmed
Qureia at the Central committee meeting in a show of solidarity with the
Palestinian leadership and its people, officials said. Prime Minister Adnan
Badran accompanied the King.
“The King's visit reflects Jordan's support with the Palestinian leadership and
people in their quest to recover their national rights,” Shaath said.