by Saud Abu Ramadan
GAZA, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of 14 Palestinian factions resumed on Tuesday their national dialogue in Egypt's capital Cairo to discuss political and technical issues related to the upcoming general elections in Palestine.
The factions that join the dialogue include the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, and several left-wing groups.
A Palestinian source, who is close to the dialogue, told Xinhua that the discussions during the first day of the dialogue, which the Egyptian Security Intelligence Service sponsors, "were positive and encouraging."
The source said representatives of Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas-led Fatah Movement will continue to hold bilateral meetings in a bid to agree on a "code of honor" to allow everyone to campaign freely and commit to respect the outcome of the elections.
The source added the ongoing Cairo meetings focused on discussing the issues related to ending the internal Palestinian division, rearranging the internal Palestinian situation and preparing for the general elections.
The meetings were an outcome of the Egyptian efforts to rearrange the Palestinian situation from inside and achieve a national reconciliation that enables the Palestinians to overcome obstacles at this difficult stage, according to the source.
The most significant issue on the dialogue table, according to the source, is related to the administrative and security issues for the elections, in addition to the procedures for creating an atmosphere and ensuring public freedoms.
Some independent Palestinian figures presented a draft paper that called on the participants in the dialogue to discuss not only the issue of the general elections but also other substantial issues related to rearranging the internal Palestinian situation.
Hani al-Masri, director general of the Palestinian Center for Policy Research and Strategic Studies, who joined the dialogue, told Xinhua from Cairo that some independent Palestinian figures called for forming a transitional government that observes the elections.
In a decree issued last month, Palestinian President Abbas announced that the 2021 general election will include legislative elections being held on May 22, presidential elections on July 31, and the Palestinian National Council elections on Aug. 31.
The last Palestinian presidential elections were held in March 2005 and the legislative elections in January 2006. The result was a victory for Hamas, which received 44.45 percent of the votes and won 74 of the 132 seats. Meanwhile, Fatah received 41.43 percent of the votes and won 45 seats.
The internal Palestinian division between Hamas and Fatah began in 2007 when Hamas forcibly took over the Gaza Strip from Fatah. Since then, the Palestinian territories have been split into a Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and a Fatah-dominated West Bank. Enditem
