Palestinian factions agree on forming new National Council

The preparatory committee for the Palestinian National Council (PNC), which was attended by the main Palestinian factions, agreed on forming a new PNC that includes all factions, Palestinian news agency Quds Net reported yesterday.

The secretary general of the Palestinian Initiative, Mustafa Al-Barghouti, described the meetings of the preparatory committee as “successful” and said: “They came out with a complete agreement on the basic issues.”

Speaking to the press on the sidelines of the meetings which were held in Beirut, Al-Barghouti said that the participants agreed on the formation of a new national council that includes all the Palestinian factions.

He said that the new PNC legislative body would be formed based on democratic elections in areas where elections could be held. Where elections could not be held, he said, members of the council would be chosen by the agreement of all factions.

Al-Barghouti also said that there was agreement for the preparatory committee to continue its operation, as well as to form new committees to lay down a broad policy framework for the new legislature.

Meanwhile, he said that the factions agreed to start discussions to form a national unity government to carry out reconciliation agreements, end the internal divisions between Palestinian factions – especially rivals Fatah and Hamas – and prepare for the general elections.