By Xinhua
Ramallah : The Palestinian Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Central Council will meet Sunday evening to discuss dismissing the Hamas-dominated parliament and call for early elections.
“The central council has the right to dissolve the Legislative Council” because of the split between the Hamas-run Gaza Strip and the West Bank where Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement still dominant, said Akram al-Haimouni, a Fatah lawmaker.
The central council, which will meet in Ramallah today, in addition to the PLO’s top decision-making body the National Council, will make a decision on firing the current parliament and holding early elections “since the parliament is paralyzed.”
The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) failed to gather Hamas and Fatah lawmakers under its umbrella since June when Hamas routed pro-Abbas security forces and took over the Gaza Strip.
Al-Haimouni said the central council would reiterate that there will be no talks between Fatah and Hamas until the latter gives up its control on the Gaza Strip.
The council will also discuss the results of U.S. President George W. Bush’s visit to the region and the bids to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.
But Fatah lawmakers apparently hold different opinions toward dismissing the PLC. Abdullah Abdullah, a Fatah legislator, said the Central Council can’t alone sack the parliament “because this was the president’s right.”
Instead, the Central Council will discuss earlier decisions involving the modification of the electoral law to adopt the proportional representation method in a way granting votes for the parties, not for the districts, Abdullah said.
Meanwhile, Hamas, which won elections in 2006, announced its refusal to any decision dissolving the PLC.
“Such a decision won’t be legitimate because the basic law doesn’t authorize the Central Council to do so,” said Salah al-Bardaweel, spokesman for Hamas parliamentary bloc.