Hamdan: Creating comprehensive national authority is national imperative

Source: PIC, 02-02-2009

BEIRUT - Ossama Hamdan, the representative of Hamas in Lebanon, has asserted that the present PLO doesn't represent the entire Palestinian people, stressing that creating a national authority on national basis to include all Palestinian factions is a national imperative.

He also made it clear that any Palestinian national talks must be preceded with complete halt of security coordination between the PA security forces in Ramallah and the "Israeli" security apparatuses, in addition to releasing all political prisoners in Abbas's jails.

"We aren't in a legitimacy crisis, but those who allied themselves with the (‘Israeli') enemy and relied on the promises of former US president George W. Bush were indeed the party in a legitimacy crisis", Hamdan confirmed in a massive rally in the Lebanese capital Beirut Sunday in support of Gaza.

"Our legitimacy was indeed culminated by the precious victory the resistance achieved over the IOF troops in Gaza", he stressed.
He explained that all Palestinian resistance factions have agreed in 2005 to rebuild the PLO on national basis that could meet the aspirations and legal rights of the Palestinian people in the homeland and in the diaspora.

But he elaborated that since then, the PLO leadership, and Fatah faction that dominate the Palestinian organization refused to fulfill that agreement and kept on dodging the issue to avoid serious steps in this regard.

"Since that date (March, 2005), they (in Fatah and PLO leadership) have confiscated the decision of the PLO, and suspended all PLO institutions, and compromised Palestinian legal rights and national constants in the name of the PLO", underscored the Hamas leader.

Hence, he underlined, creating a new national authority that could absorb the entire Palestinian people was the choice of the Palestinian people in the homeland and in the diaspora.

"It is about time for you to act instead of giving us sweet words, and its about time to tell those who close the door of the PLO in the face of the resistance factions that the PLO isn't your own, but it is for all Palestinians", the Hamas leader pointed out.

In this regard, Hamdan highlighted that national dialogue is the only way to bail the Palestinian people out of this crisis, although others thought that Hamas was calling for national dialogue in the past out of weakness; "yet, we are now calling for national dialogue from a strong position after the victory in Gaza".

Finally, Hamdan hailed the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip for the legendary steadfastness they had demonstrated, which, according to him, played a basic role in achieving the victory.
He also praised the Palestinian people in the West Bank, stressing that they were strong partners in making the victory in Gaza although they were suppressed by the "Israeli" occupation forces and the PA security forces.

Turkey was also present in Hamdan's speech as he hailed the Turkish leadership and people for their strong support for the Palestinian people.