The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) factions want to postpone the second round of the national dialogue in Cairo, scheduled for March, said member of the PLO’s Executive Committee Ahmed Majdalani.
In comments to the Voice of Palestine radio station, Majdalani said discussions are ongoing with PLO political forces that took part in the latest Cairo talks to postpone the upcoming round until after the legislative elections, scheduled for May 22.
He pointed out that any talks now would be “hypothetical” because there are no fundamental issues to be discussed.
According to the first round’s final communique, factions agreed to head to Cairo in March for another round of talks in a bid to settle thorny issues.
They still need to agree on the principles and mechanisms by which the formation of the new National Council will be completed, and bolster the national program.
Hamas, meanwhile, insists on reaching an understanding about the National Council elections before holding the legislative elections.
It wants to ensure that the elections will proceed as scheduled and without an agreed-upon National Council elections, informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“Hamas was aiming to hold simultaneous elections,” they added, but due to the intervention by regional countries that provided guarantees, it agreed on the gradual elections, provided that they all be covered in a single decree setting their dates.
