Palestinian resistance factions urge boycott of PNC meet

PIC reported:

Palestinian political factions in the Gaza Strip on Thursday called for boycotting the upcoming meeting of the Palestinian National Council (PNC).

The factions stressed, in a press conference on Thursday, that the PNC meeting, the first in nearly 20 years, will damage national unity. The Popular and Democratic fronts called on the PNC members not to attend the sessions of PNC meeting which is expected to convene mid of September.

The factions said the session enables a circumvention of the law, practiced by the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, in order to gain control of the PLO's Executive Committee, adding that the results from the session will only represent those that participated and not the Palestinian people.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) said that a preparatory committee representing all factions, including Islamist parties, should be formed to agree on an agenda for the PNC meeting and put into effect the national unity agreement signed last year.

The factions opined that holding the PNC sessions in the current time without a national consensus is totally wrong as it reflects the monopolization of decision and does not contribute to solve the split problem; instead, it disrupts the reconciliation efforts.

Holding the session in the present time and in Ramallah raised questions on the objectives and reasons of the PNC meeting, they added.

For its part, the Islamic Jihad Movement suggested holding an urgent consultative meeting of the Palestinian factions to prepare for the arrangement of the Palestinian internal issues.

The PNC, responsible for deciding on PLO policies, is convening to elect new Executive Committee, the PLO's primary executive body, for the first time in nearly 20 years.