Historic meeting in Amman between President Abbas and head of the PLO Farouk Qaddumi
Palestine News Network, June 1, 2009
Ramallah / PNN – President Mahmoud Abbas and the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s political department, Farouk Qaddumi, are reconciling today in Amman.
Other leading figures of the Fateh movement are taking place in the historic reconciliation in the Jordanian capital of Amman. Abbas arrived late last night.
The sources state that the President has held several meetings with members of the Preparatory Committee for the Sixth General Conference of the Fateh movement. It was during those meetings that he decided to convene the conference on 1 July in Bethlehem. Several outside leaders have said they would not come if the conference were held at home, however Amman and Cairo declined requests to serve as hosts. The controversy over venue remains although the President made his decision. Also of contention is the guest list.
Sources in Amman indicate that the reconciliation between Abbas and Qaddumi comes “after mediation based in Amman by a large number of prominent leaders in the movement, the most prominent being Azzam Al Ahmed,” the head of Fateh’s parliamentary bloc in the Palestinian Legislative Council. Fateh Revolutionary Council member and well-known figure, Mohammad Dahlan was also involved. He is a primary figure whose presence at the Sixth Conference many reject.