GAZA , November 16 (IslamOnline.net) – During their meeting with the new leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazen), national and Islamic resistance factions in Gaza demanded parliamentary and municipal elections to go along with presidential polls slated for January 9.

The first in a series of meetings took place Monday, November 16, to discuss the mechanism of Palestinian action in the forthcoming stage.

The meeting has shown disagreement among Palestinian powers on such mechanisms, particularly regarding the two issues of elections and a unified leadership.

Bilateral meetings between Abu Mazen and the Palestinian factions are to be held in the upcoming stage, well-informed Palestinian sources told IslamOnline.net Tuesday, November 16.

Most factions attending the meeting, particularly Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have called for holding “comprehensive elections” on the legislative, presidential and municipal levels, while the Palestinian Authority (PA) has only set a date for the chairmanship of the Palestinian Authority, January 9, 2005.

Before Arafat's death, the PA had decided to hold general (legislative, presidential and municipal) elections in the spring of 2005, but they have been postponed several times, with no confirmed date yet.

The three-hour meeting Monday, the first of its kind since the appointment of Abu Mazen as PLO head, was attended by representatives of 13 Palestinian factions.

Palestinian sources said that national and Islamic factions have called for “setting up a unified Palestinian leadership to confront the upcoming stage, whether through forming a unified leadership to act as a political reference or activating the role of the PLO and its institutions and integrating both Hamas and Jihad movements therein.”

Integration

The mystery surrounding Arafat’s death is still unsolved. (AFP)

Opposition factions, particularly Hamas and Jihad, can only be integrated into PLO, according to the leadership of both PA and PLO, after approving the PLO regulations with regard to the adoption of peaceful option and negotiation with Israel as a means for restoring the occupied Arab territories.

“The movement has underlined the necessity of forming a temporary unified Palestinian leadership that prepares for a comprehensive electoral process,” Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zahra said in statements to reporters following the meeting, adding, “The Palestinian people are in need of such comprehensive elections.”

“There are other options to the effect that the PLO be a collective formula in case its mechanisms were to be corrected and activated,” he added.

Hamas media spokesman emphasized that the attendants had given prominence to the importance of the inter-Palestinian dialogue, pointing out bilateral meetings would be held between Hamas leaders and Abu Mazen, to be followed by other multi-lateral meetings.

Abu Zahra has not disclosed Hamas’ attitude towards participation in the forthcoming presidential elections.

Dr. Mohammed Al-Hindi, an Islamic Jihad Movement leader, said that finding a new formula to face the next stage depends on the national unity and is based on two proposals, “the first is the unified national leadership through the higher follow-up committee of the Palestinian factions as a political reference; while the second is to activate and rehabilitate PLO and integrate all factions therein.”

Al-Hindi underlined that all factions have denounced Abu Mazen's assassination attempt and called for “limiting penetration into Palestinian security bodies.”

He pointed out that his movement would not take part in the legislative and presidential elections and would only take part in municipal elections. Yet, in case all elections are held within a comprehensive framework, Jihad may take part effectively in the electoral process.

Gamil Al-Magdalawi, member of the political bureau of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, underlined the necessity to form a unified national leadership, adding, “We have called for comprehensive national dialogue instead of holding presidential elections.”

Saleh Zeidan, member of the political bureau of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said that it has been agreed to maintain Palestinian national dialogue and called for “comprehensive elections and forming a unified national leadership.”

The only Palestinian legislative elections were held in January 1996 following Oslo agreements on Palestinian Autonomy and the setting up of the Palestinian Authority in 1994 that led to electing Arafat as a chairman of the PA.

On another front, the office of Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei has declared that it had requested a medical report to be submitted by France on the reasons behind President Arafat's death.

A statement made by Qorei said, “We officially demand that the Palestinian leadership review the medical report on Arafat's death and the reasons thereof.”

The demand follows multiple reports and statements issued by several Palestinian bodies, including the PA, on the possibility of Arafat being poisoned; a matter previously confirmed by well-informed Palestinian sources to IslamOnline.net prior to Arafat's death on November 11.