Palestinian opposition fails to make a statement against Oslo
Palestine, Politics, 7/27/1999

Palestinian sources in Damascus asserted to the London-based al-Hayat daily that the follow-up committee of the Palestinian National Conference, which opposes the amendment of the Palestinian charter, "failed" on Monday to release an official statement implying stances towards debated issues.

The sources attributed the lack of such a statement to the refusal of the chairman of the conference, Khaled al-Fahoum, to "approve a statement implying approval of stances against the Oslo agreement and the peace process" and al-Fahoum's threats to resign from the follow-up committee, which includes independent Palestinians and representatives of the opposition groups.

The follow-up committee met in the presence of several members and representatives of nine organizations and several independents in al-Fahoum's office in Damascus.

The participants discussed the issue of dialogue between the Palestinian National Authority and the People's Front for the Liberation of Palestine, led by George Habash, on the grounds that the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, led by Nayef Hawatemah, was removed from the follow-up committee, especially as al-Fahoum received a telephone call from Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and expressed his readiness to take part, in the context of a national front, in the final status negotiations.

The sources said that "pressure and criticism" was directed basically to al-Fahoum and to the assistant secretary general of the people's front, Abu Ali Mustafa, and that the latter told the participants in the meeting that the front has taken a central decision that has been confirmed on Sunday to maintain dialogue with the Fatah movement rather than with the Palestinian Authority.

Al-Fahoum said, "I am committed to what I had made. I am against the Oslo and the Wye River agreements, but there are strategic matters concerning waters, the question of Jerusalem, the settlements and the refugees that a front has to be formed to Join the negotiations according to these matters."

Previous Stories:
  Palestinian forces refute campaigns against Syria   (7/23/1999)
  Aznar calls in Gaza for implementing Wye River agreement   (7/23/1999)
  Palestinian official denies Syrian pressure to halt armed struggle   (7/23/1999)
  On the fate of the Palestinian refugees   (7/22/1999)

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