***Begins***
Ramallah, 18-03-06: The Independent Palestine coalition made a formal statement today concerning its decision not to participate in the new Palestinian government.
On behalf of the coalition, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi MP reported that, despite extensive negotiations with Hamas as well as all other factions, groups and individuals within the Palestinian Legislative Council, Independent Palestine has opted to remain in opposition.
He expressed regret that Hamas had not been able to form a government of national unity, a fact he said was critical in addressing the deterioration of the conflict, characterized by the following:
- Recent Israeli military invasions of the Jericho Prison and Jenin City, which threaten to escalate the already-fragile situation in the region, and which represent yet another attempt by Israel to force a renewed cycle of overt violence;
- The announcement of acting Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert that he plans to set the final borders of the Israeli state within four years based on the route of the ‘Separation Wall’. This will effectively annex more than 42 percent of the lands of the West Bank to Israel, including the Jordan Valley, East Jerusalem, and major, illegally built settlement blocs;
- Israel’s ongoing efforts to sever the Gaza Strip from other areas of Palestine through continued border closures and by preventing freedom of movement between Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank, rendering the concept of a viable Palestinian state unworkable; and
- Undermining and isolating the Palestinian Authority (PA) and financially strangling Palestinian society by withholding customs and tax monies collected on behalf of the PA.
While Dr. Barghouthi acknowledged Hamas’ flexibility on a number of key issues, he added that the inability to agree on certain fundamental points lay at the heart of Independent Palestine’s decision not to participate in the new government.
Primary amongst these was acceptance of a negotiated peace settlement based on a two state solution.
Dr. Barghouthi ended by stating that Palestinians can no longer accept a situation whereby the Palestinian Authority remains locked in the position of reacting to unilateral strategies adopted by the Israeli government. As such, he proposed the concept of an international peace conference in order to revive the obsolete ‘peace process’, and to bring resolution of the conflict back to its basis in international law and peace agreements, and United Nations resolutions.
***Ends***
***Contact***
PNI Press Service
Tel: 054-6513128