Shaath in Gaza to discuss reconciliation amid Hamas concerns

Dr. Nabil Shaath, Member of the Central Committee in Fatah Gaza – Mohammad Habib Dr. Nabil Shaath, Member of the Central Committee in Fatah  arrived in Gaza , Sunday evening, to discuss the reconciliation with Hamas' leadership. “Shaath is expected to hold group and individual meetings on Monday with national and popular factions and forces to support the reconciliation agreement finally reached in Cairo,” sources told ‘Arabstoday’.
Meanwhile, speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Dr. Aziz Duwaik accused “Palestinian parties” – which he did not name – of “seeking to undermine the efforts of the internal reconciliation and failing any positive progress in the file of ending the division.”
“There are parties, known to us, that are trying to sabotage the atmosphere surrounding the reconciliation, seeking to mar [it] by continuing security prosecutions and political arrests, and imposing an equation out of the Palestinian context calling for the end of division,” Duewaik said in a statement last Sunday.
Speaker of the PLC considered the continuity of political arrests background contradicts with the essence of the reconciliation agreement, explaining that ignoring the agreement terms in this respect weakens the efforts of establishing a national dialogue.
A follow-up commission of public freedoms holds its first meeting in Gaza to discuss the file of the political detainees, passports, personal freedoms, and opening security checkpoints.
In a relevant context, spokesman of the Interior Ministry in Gaza Ihab al-Ghosein stated that Fatah’s continuous accusations of the existence of an arrest campaign of its supporters and staff in the Strip would “poison the air”, which would hinder the reconciliation.  
“These repetitive accusations, which have increased in the past few days, come to cover the ongoing campaigns of arrests of Hamas supporters by Palestinian authority security of the West Bank,” according to al-Ghosein.
Al-Ghosein firmly denied the presence of Fatah political prisoners in Gaza prisons, adding that the security forces in Gaza do not detain anyone based on their political affiliation. However, he stated that there might be some cases where a few individuals were summoned for interrogation.
“There are hundreds of prisoners in the West  Bank that are Hamas supporters among others, and we pressure ourselves to not bring up this issue in the media in order to prepare for a suitable atmosphere for the implementation of the reconciliation,” he said.
Regarding Fatah’s announcement of receiving a list of names of its prisoners in Hamas prisons preparing for their release, during the internal disputes in 2011, Interior Ministry spokesman said that the Fatah list included 34 names, which upon studying revealed that 10 of them were accused of spying, 9 of murder, and others of vehicles arson and bombings. He explained that 10 prisoners, who planned acts of violence but did not execute them, were released by an order from Ismail Haniyeh in the Goodwill Initiative.
As for the announcement of an agreement with Hamas concerning the return of Fatah staff to the Strip, al-Ghosein said “Fatah submitted a list of 107 names requesting their return. After studying, we found that the list includes those wanted in trials for crimes. As an executive body, we do not prevent anyone from entering Gaza, just as we do not force anyone to leave, but if those are allowed into the Strip and the court summons them, we will hand them over for trial.”
“The increase of summons by the security of Hamas to Fatah supporters in the Strip, of which some reach detention, are to stop the celebrations in the memory of Fatah’s launch in 47, last Sunday,” said spokesman of Fatah Fayez Abu Aita said in response.
Abu Aita, in press statements, called for the release of Fatah prisoners and the criminalization of political arrests, as well as setting a definition for the term “political prisoner” to rid of all fallacies concerning this issue.
On a different note, the Palestinian Central Elections Commission holds its first meeting today, Monday, after agreeing on the names of its members, following its reformation with a decree issued by President Mahmoud Abbas, December 22, amid warnings of the continuous security procedures in the West Bank, and the possibility of Israel’s interference in the elections to affect it. The decree stated that the Elections Commission is to include 9 members to run the administration of the elections, supervise it, prepare for it, and organize it, as well as to take necessary procedures to ensure its integrity and transparency.
Fatah and Hamas had agreed in Cairo last month that the commission is to start its work, which includes preparing the electoral register and electoral districts in Gaza, the day following the presidential decree of its formation.
Despite the optimism toward the Palestinian dialogue, and the possibility of holding the elections in May as previously scheduled, some warn of the Palestinian security procedures in the West Bank, and the possible Israeli influence over the elections to fail it, particularly in Jerusalem. In addition, although the new commission was assigned for the job ten days ago, it did not receive formal letters concerning the election dates.
“The commission is to hold its first meeting in Ramallah on Monday, with the participation of the members present in Gaza via video conference,” said professor Ahmed el-Khaldi, member of the new commission.
“There are some administrative procedures which the commission will start with, particularly updating the electoral register in preparation of the presidential and legislative elections and the National Assembly elections,” he added in television statements, noting that three months are enough for the commission to be ready to hold the elections.
The number of registered voters, according to the commission, is 1557366 voters, which makes about 79% of those entitled to voting, with accordance to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics for 2011.