By Xinhua
Gaza : A jailed Fatah lawmaker Monday slammed his movement for failing to prevent the Gaza Strip from falling into the hand of rival Hamas in the infighting in mid June.
“No one from Fatah has learnt or estimated the lessons from the disaster that happened in Gaza,” Marwan al-Barghouti said in a statement sent out from prison through his lawyer.
Al-Barghouti described Hamas’ takeover of Gaza as “a stab in the back, a heavy strategic mistake (that) destroyed the Palestinian democratic process and cut the bridges of national dialogue.”
However, Hamas said that they have got the chance to establish better relations with President Mahmoud Abbas, who is also leader of the Fatah movement, after “cleaning the corrupted, US-backed stream of Fatah”.
Abbas refused to renew talks with Hamas following what he considered a coup. He sacked the Hamas administration and formed a West-backed government ruling from the West Bank, leaving Hamas besieged in Gaza.
Al-Barghouti blamed the Central Committee of Fatah for “the humiliating collapse in Gaza and the failure in the (2006) legislative elections”.
He urged the replacement of the Central Committee with a new one made of 31 members and re-elect a revolutionary council of 300 members “so Fatah can be ready in any parliamentary and presidential elections”.
As for Israel, the jailed leader attacked Ehud Olmert’s government, saying its actions on the ground were against what it declares regarding supporting President Abbas.
He also criticised an international peace conference to be held in November, which was called for by the US.
“Our people are fed up with these meetings which bring more disappointments and more lack of confidence in the peace process,” he said.