Official: Inter-Palestinian talks to resume on Tuesday

Official: Inter-Palestinian talks to resume on Tuesday Gaza  - A leader of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement on Saturday said inter-Palestinian unity and reconciliation talks will resume on Tuesday.

"The national dialogue will resume in Cairo on Tuesday," said Nabil Shaath, a Fatah representative to the talks.

"The first day will be left for unofficial discussions between the Egyptian officials and the leaders of the factions," he added.

The specialized committees, which the factions formed earlier to settle outstanding issues, will start their meetings again on Wednesday, according to Shaath.

The talks aim at reconciling Hamas and Fatah by forming a unity government, reforming the security services, reforming the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and holding elections.

In the first round of talks, the factions agreed to set up a transitional government and hold presidential and parliamentary elections in January 2010. However, they failed to agree on the government's platform, the electoral law and the role of the PLO during the transition period.

Shaath said the government's program "was not a big obstacle and can be resolved." However, he said reaching the reconciliation will take time. "There are no time limits for the dialogue but for sure we will succeed."

In March 2007, Hamas and Fatah formed a unity government under a Saudi-brokered pact, but the administration broke up three months later after Hamas routed pro-Abbas forces and seized control of all security installations in Gaza Strip. (dpa)

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