Palestinian central council and the establishment of a state
Palestine, Politics, 4/27/1999

Chairman of the Palestinian National Council Salim al-Zanoun on Monday said that meetings of the Palestinian central council due to convened today to discuss the declaration or postponement of Palestinian statehood will be secret and will last for several days.

In a statement to the "Face the Press" program aired on Monday, al-Zanoun said the meetings of the central council will be closed-door meetings before the mass media as well as secret, like the meetings of the Palestinian leadership, adding that these meetings may continue until after the Israeli elections.

He added that the question of the of the council's meeting will be the May 4 date, adding that the declaration or postponement of Palestinian statehood upon the end of the five-year self-rule provisional period has its own requirements.

He denied what had been stated by the message of the US President Bill Clinton on guaranteeing the rights of the Palestinians under the condition that they have to postpone declaration of their statehood. "We have not so far received anything on this matter," he said.

Al-Zanoun described the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "deceiver."

The meetings, in which a delegation from Hamas chaired by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin is going to take part, will discuss the declaration of the Palestinian state.

According to the head of Palestinian national council, Salim al-Zanoun, 125 members of Islamic Jihad and four independent personalities, including Dr. Hider Abd El-Shafi the chief negotiator of the Oslo agreement, will also take part.

Meanwhile, al-Zanoun said the council will examine the extension of the transitional period for six months or a year, according to the report that will be presented by Arafat to the council on the result of his visits to Europe, Africa, Asia and the USA.

Previous Stories:
  Netanyahu warns the Palestinians   (4/27/1999)
  International support for Arafat   (4/26/1999)
  Arab League condemns closure of Palestinian Beit El-Shark   (4/26/1999)
  US calls for one year extension of peace process   (4/26/1999)
  Palestinian Legislative Council convenes extraordinary session   (4/26/1999)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search