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Mr. Amr addresses PLC on latest Political Developments.
Mr. Nabeel Amr, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, on Feb 14, delivered a statement at the meeting of the PLC.
The statement reflected the cabinet views and moves vis-à-vis the current situation on the Palestinian, Arab, regional and international areas.
Following is the text of the statement:
The Cabinet Statement before the Palestinian Legislative council.
In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful
Mr. Speaker
Dear, Deputies
In the beginning, I would like to extend to you the best wishes of president Yasser Arafat and his brothers in the Excessive Authority, who hope progress and success to our Legislative Council.
I also extend, on behalf of the President and the Cabinet, their high appreciation for convening the council in such an exceptional way, which incarnates the care for the functioning of the institution under such hard circumstances, and also our persistence on our democratic option in running our affairs, and handling our issues on all levels.
Mr. Speaker,
The government statement is comprised of two limited parts:
First: Political Standpoint
Second: The internal situation.
The Political Standpoint:
Our session convenes after an arbitrary cessation for a long time. Throughout this period tempestuous events took place in which the members were involved and have participated actively, everyone in his place and posture. For this very reason, I will not indulge in telling the details of the last five months, but I will start with this part of the report, and from this place as a departure point.
The Uprising- (Al-Intifada):
Despite the horror of the Israeli aggression and the bitterness of its measures against our people, the Intifada of Al-Aqsa, of freedom and independence is still mounting, taking the shape of vital and active waves.
One of the outstanding characteristics as evident with the martyrs and casualties is the fact that it has the deep and vigorous backing, incarnated in national unity and massive indulgent in all its activities and developments.
The Intifada, the lively Uprisal- is not isolated from the continuous militant heritage of our Palestinian people. It is also not distant from the political horizon, which has been defined by our national institutions throughout the resolutions that were adopted by our national councils. It is a basic support and essential lever to the legitimate right of our people whose most territories are still occupied, and where the evils of colonization’s are pressing our citizens.
The Political movement..
The Palestinian national structure has proved its capability through its different frameworks- The Palestine Liberation Organization ( PLO), and the Palestinian National Authority PNA – to handle and to run the largest and most complicated battle that synchronize and complement with the battle of national steadfastness in confronting the occupation, colonization and aggression.
Such activities have achieved distinguished results on the international , regional. Arab and Islamic areas.
In accordance with these substantiated results, the political moves are continuing with a renewed momentum for the purpose of affording the largest support for our national rights that are based on international legitimacy, where in the heart lies the evacuation of all form of occupation from all our territories that are occupied since 1967, starting with Jerusalem, the eternal capital of our independent Palestinian state, and the accomplishment of the right to return to the refugees on the [platform of international legitimacy and UN Resolution No 194.
The Negotiations:
Here, I give the floor , to the members of the negotiation team who share us this meeting to update us in details on what has been achieved through all the negotiations stops, in order that our debate on our future negotiation options , be based on sufficient database information.
The Arab and Islamic Situation:
If we have taken as for granted that Al-Aqsa uprising has infuriated the passion of the Arab and Islamic moves, and has enforced the convening of an Arab summit, the Jerusalem Committee , and later on the Islamic conference , but the momentum of the desired support for the uprising has regretfully witnessed a setback.
The issue here doesn’t ly only in the non accessibility of the financial support to our people, whom in his name this support was decided upon, but in what is more dangerous than that, and which is, the proposed mechanism by Some parties to funnel those funds. And although have expressed the required flexibility to sustain the effective and fast mechanism to make those funds attainable in the right direction, some has went far with their suggestion as to the edge of surpassing the PLO and the PNA and to the extent of a charity welfare which would negatively affect and leave a devastating impact on our national leading institutes in the PLO and PNA.
We feel a deep bitterness due to the behavior of those who tend to exaggerate for the purpose of justifying their non-commitment to provide the funds they promised in its time and place, especially as all are witnessing the siege of the tragedy and the suffering vis-à-vis the American and Israeli persistence to see political concessions presented by the Palestinian side under the pressure of the escalating and systematic destruction and closure policies.
Here by , and as the new Arab Summit which will be convened in Amman is approaching , we call on our Arab brethren to hurry up in providing the support which was agreed upon. The issue here is not the banking procedures but a political decision in principle, and which should be conducted on this basis.
Dr. Riad el-Zaanoon, who chaired our delegation to the Arab countries can elaborate on our proposed financial mechanism and which are precise , conclusive and guaranteed.
The International Situation:
Since the united states has single handedly performed the peace process and up till now, this process is in continuous setback which finally rendered into the fiasco.
We are looking forward for the visit of the U.S secretary to the region to explore the American stands and the plans vis-à-vis the peace process- if there is any. Here we stress the necessity of finding the missing equilibrium on the level of the participating and the guaranteeing powers of the peace process, we also stress the importance of the roles of the United Nations, the European Union, Russia and Japan, also we emphasize the responsibilities of these powers and countries in enforcing International legitimacy as a basis for relevant terms of reference of the peace process without any alternation.
The Israeli Situation:
We are facing now a new incoming Israeli government led by the extremist right-winger General Sharon, who everyday sends direct threatening signals indicating the resumption of the aggression , as well as the political signals incarnated in the public repudiation towards the understandings and the agreements which have been concluded.
Though we are a priori in need of direct updating on the program of the new Israeli government , but the proposals which are being illustrated clearly indicates that this rightwing Israeli government –regardless of the participant powers – is pending to renounce the agreements and understandings for the sake of enforcing unilateral terms of reference and formulation of frameworks as well. In principle we reject this tendency and affirm our readiness to go forward with peace process on the basis of the terms of reference which were agreed upon. Those terms of reference are up till now guaranteed by the world since Madrid conference. They are totally based on the resolutions of international legitimacy that are related to all the issue of the final status solution of all the issues of the Arab- Israeli conflict.
The International Situation:
There is a collective feeling and a conclusive popular wish of the necessity for a responsible and objective study of all the sides of our internal situation, and to confront the shortcomin of the performances of the Palestinian National Authorities ( PNA) with all its apparatus and institutions, not only to block the means before anyone who tries to exploit the breaches within our internal situation to justify the repudiation of commitments, but in order to afford our countrymen , a generous life in their home land, and in order to put an end to all the unsound phenomenon that has been spread due to these breaches.
No doubt we are confronting the destructive war that is targeting our internal structure and our national principles . But it is also true that fixing our home is one of the requirements for an effective and a long – term steadfastness. What opens the horizons of hope and success is the unique and distinguished steadfastness of our people , our Authority, and our national institutions while confronting the aggression on the ground, and within the framework of the renewed national unity via the conscious adherence to the national principles . This adherence was experienced in Camp David and Taba, and also in all the hard and plentiful rounds.
The Executive Authority – The Cabinet- has started probing the inside file. A ministerial committee has come forward with defined and practical proposals to handle the mishap giving first and fast priority to the jurisdiction authority, given the fact that it will not effect our internal situation on the administrative , the finance , the monitoring and economy levels.
It is time to see a creative interaction among all our national institutions in this direction. This home land is ours, and this people is our community. Our option is to struggle till we attain freedom and independence , and establish our national independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. The return of the refugees is the option of all of us.
All this depends on solidifying the ground on which we stand , and respect to the scores of martyrs who sacrificed their lives without hesitation. It is our people of whom thousands of prisoners and wounded are witnesses of the course, which regardless of its length will be the shortest and the most secure of all the other courses which our enemies, would try to impose on us.
Once again, we salute our steadfast legislative council in facing the hardiest challenges.
We salute our great people who never conceded its cause, history, and national legitimate aspirations.
Let us resist all forms of inner weakness.
Let us fight those rumors which tend to tear our ranks, and implant rift in our front while conducting the honorable confrontation with the occupation.
Glory and Eternity for our virtuous martyrs
Quick recovery for our wounded champions
Liberty for our prisoners
A generous life for our people in the homeland and in exile..
Good luck for all.