A jailed leader from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement on Sunday urged rival Hamas to give up control of the Gaza Strip as a step towards a national dialogue.
"Hamas must take the initiative and carry out the first step by returning the institutions of authority to President Abu Mazen (Abbas) and enabling the authority to impose its control on Gaza as preparations for the national dialogue," Marwan al-Barghouti said in an interview with local newspapers from prison.
For al-Barghouti, the dialogue should lead to new presidential and parliamentary elections based on proportional representation "to restore the national unity on new basis."
Hamas, which won parliamentary elections early 2006, fought pro-Abbas forces in Gaza in June and took over the coastal Strip. Abbas sacked a Hamas-led coalition at the time and formed a new cabinet ruling from the Fatah-dominated West Bank.
Meanwhile, al-Barghouti opposed calls to reshuffle the Western-backed Palestinian government, led by Salam Fayyad who represents the new Third Road party.
"Any modification in the government must be done according to the basic law," al-Barghouti said, reminding that the caretaker government took office without taking confidence from the Hamas-dominated legislative council.
He added that his Fatah movement won't lead any government unless new elections are held and Fatah scores a landslide victory.
Source; Xinhua
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