Egyptian Intelligence Chief, Omar Suleiman, is slated to arrive in the Palestinian territories, on Wednesday, to discuss the recent Palestinian issues, especially the upcoming legislative elections, the Maan News Agency reported.
The Agency said that Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, is seeking Egypt’s aid in order to delay the upcoming elections. He hopes that Egypt will be able to achieve Hamas’s approval on the matter.
Well informed Palestinian sources said that Seligman’s visit to the region came after a quick visit by Jebril Rajoub, the National Security advisor of Abbas, to Cairo during which he discussed the American and European position which strongly rejects the participation of Hamas in the coming elections.
Also, Suleiman will discuss the internal crises in Fateh movement that blew after last week’s defeat in the municipal elections. Hamas achieved an overwhelmingly majority in Nablus and the biggest cities in the West Bank, while Fateh showed poor results due to the sharp division inside the movement.
Abbas is also interested to delay the elections as a result of the chaos inside the movement, but he will not take a decision unless Hamas approved it. Palestinian sources added.
Javier Solana, European Union foreign policy Chief, said on Sunday that the E.U could stop its millions of dollars aide to the Palestinian Authority if Hamas wins the upcoming legislative elections, and fails to renounce violence.
He added that a future P.A administration “which does not clearly reject violence and does not recognize Israel’s right to exists”, cannot continue receiving $312 million of E.U funding in 2006.
“It would be very difficult for the help and the money that goes to the Palestinian Authority to continue to flow if Hamas is in power” he said, “Taxpayers in the European Union, members of the parliament of the European Union, will not be in a position to sustain that type of political activity”.
Also on Sunday, officials of Fateh movement rejected the U.S decision which opposes the participation of Hamas in the upcoming Legislative Elections, and rejected the U.S Congress’ decision to call for a ban on Hamas in the upcoming Palestinian parliamentary elections.
The Congress also voted to freeze aid to the PA if Hamas participates in the elections.
Hamas, in return, said that it will participate in the Palestinian parliamentary elections next month challenging the decision of the U.S. House of Representatives.
