Palestinian leaders set for Cairo meeting to iron out differences

Khaled Meshaal (L) and Mahmoud Abbas are meeting for further unity talks Cairo – Akram Ali Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal and Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas are set for a key meeting in Cairo on Friday, as they look to iron out difference between Hamas and Fatah on the road to potential reconciliation .
The duo are planning to discuss avenues for the implementation of reconciliation agreements, elections and the formation of a new government.
On Thursday evening, deputy head of Hamas political bureau in Cairo, Moussa Abu Marzouk, met Fatah Central Committee member Azzam al-Ahmed, along with a number of Egyptian officials.
Afterwards, Marzouk told Arabstoday the meeting explored the outcome of recent agreements on reconciliation, the obstacles in the way of their implementation, as well as the unified leadership framework proposed by Abbas.
Al-Ahmed revealed that they had agreed to create a follow-up committee which would include both of them, along with several Egyptian officials. The committee would then meet periodically to assess the implemented terms and resolve problems.
He added: "The meetings will discuss the way a new National Council will be elected according to the principle of full proportional representation and by a law that is currently being drafted in consensus with all forces in areas where it would be difficult to hold elections. The elections should end simultaneously with the election of the Legislative Council, and this framework will remain until a new National Council is elected, with the powers of the Executive Committee and the [Palestinian Liberation] Organisation [PLO] asserted."
President of the Centre for Palestinian Studies in Cairo, Ibrahim al-Darawi told Arabstoday: "Reconciliation will not really take place until the two camps agree on avenues for the formation of the government and the elections." He added: "If there is no agreement and what has already been agreed upon is not implemented, especially by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, then all previous measures will be rolled back."
PLO's leadership framework is holding a meeting in Cairo on Friday evening, in the presence of Abbas. They will discuss the key topics of implementing reconciliation agreements, the formation of a government and the presidential, legislative and PLO National Council elections.
The leadership framework includes the Palestinian factions' secretariats in addition to the heads of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad [PIJ], all members of the PLO's executive committee, the president of the National Council and a number of independent figures.