DFLP: No signs on ending internal division soon

An official in the left-wing group, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), said on Wednesday that there are no signs to end the current internal- Palestinian division. Talal Abu Zarifa slammed the deal, reached earlier in Cairo between Hamas movement and President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party on implementing an Egyptian-brokered reconciliation pact signed in Cairo on May 4. Leaders of Palestinian factions, including rival Fatah and Hamas movements agreed on Wednesday to implement the pact, mainly issues related to holding the general elections and forming a transitional unity government. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoom said in a press statement emailed to reporters that the factions leaders agreed on six major points related to holding the general elections, forming the transitional unity government, releasing prisoners and achieving a social reconciliation. Fatah and Hamas as well as other factions' leaders, members and non-members in Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee have been holding intensive dialogue in Cairo since Sunday to implement the pact. "Although the issues that the factions had agreed upon in Cairo to implement soon are important, they are not representing the essence of the conflict which contributed in creating the internal division," said Abu Zarifa. "It was agreed to form the independent elections committee to supervise and observe the elections. The committee will be chaired by Hana Nasser, head of the Central Elections Committee," said Barhoom. He added that finalizing the files of forming the transitional unity government, and the release of political prisoners by the end of January 2012 under a direct Egyptian sponsorship. "These understanding reached in Cairo are not promoting to the level of the Palestinian people aspirations. The people were hoping that the sessions of dialogue being held in Cairo right now are the final session," said Abu Zarifa. "A factional committee was formed to finalize the issues of public freedoms, including free travel and issuing passports and putting the proper mechanisms and measures on the ground," said Barhoom. Abu Zarifa said that the three committees on political prisoners, freedoms and social reconciliations, that were agreed to be formed "represent nothing if a unity government for the West Bank and Gaza is not formed soon." "The DFLP also opposed the idea of holding the general elections based on the laws of constituencies and lists. We call for a unified election law for all the Palestinian institutions based on the proportional system," said Abu Zarifa. He added that the DFLP called for holding the elections in accordance to the agreed date, in May 2012, and that the DFLP rebuffed all the justifications to postpone the formation of the unity government till January 26. On December 22, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal are due to arrive in Cairo to chair the temporary leading Palestinian body to reform the PLO. "The file of the PLO was transferred to the meeting of the temporary leading Palestinian body," said Barhoom, adding that the committee to implement social reconciliation was agreed to be activated immediately. In June 2007, Hamas sized control of the Gaza Strip following several weeks of violent fighting with Fatah movement militants and Abbas' security forces. Hundreds were either killed, injured or escaped to Ramallah and Egypt.