Saturday, December 2, 2006

Abu Marzouk: Lifting blockade should not mean ceding rights


"Damascus - Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk, the deputy chairman of the Hamas political bureau, on Saturday said that Palestinians should not surrender national rights and constants in return for lifting the "oppressive" economic and political blockade imposed on them.

Abu Marzouk, speaking to the PIC, opined that the only way out of the current political crisis was to continue national dialogue away from foreign pressures.

"We should not allow foreign dictates to influence our national options, our future and our people's rights," he elaborated.

Affirming that dialogue among various parliamentary blocs and officials in the Palestinian arena should continue towards the formation of a national unity government, he said that ending such dialogue meant that each party would boycott the other, "which is a very serious situation and a regrettable outcome".

He charged that new conditions tabled by PA chief Mahmoud Abbas had impeded the progress of national dialogue, affirming that the Hamas Movement voiced positive stands during that dialogue.

Meanwhile, Hebrew media predicted that a meeting would be soon held between Abbas and Israeli premier Ehud Barak after the former declared failure of the national dialogue during a joint press conference with visiting American secretary of state Condoleezza Rice in Jericho on Thursday evening.

The Israeli press further pointed out that the EU foreign policy coordinator, Javier Solana, was seeking to prepare for such a meeting. It said that Solana already met with Abbas on Saturday and is expected to meet with Olmert on Sunday. "

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