Palestinian sources: Declaration of state is to take place on May 4

Palestinian sources denied that Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has agreed to postpone the declaration of an independent Palestinian state on the specified date of May 4.

This came in reply to press reports yesterday that claimed that Arafat told former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres that he would delay the declaration during their talks in Bethlehem last Tuesday.

Meanwhile the sources expressed their surprise at this information, confirming at the same time that the talks between Arafat and Peres did not tackle at all the issues surrounding the declaration of a state on May 4.

Moreover, Palestinian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nabil Shaath confirmed that the date did not change.