by Saud Abu Ramadan
GAZA, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement, which has yet to sign an Egyptian-drafted inter-reconciliation pact, said on Monday that it wanted some guarantees from the dialogue sponsors, mainly Egypt, before the pact is signed.
"Hamas movement needs guarantees to implement what has been agreed upon with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during the previous sessions of dialogue held in Cairo over the past seven months," said Gaza-based senior Hamas leader Ismail Radwan.
A senior Hamas delegation had been scheduled to arrive in Cairoon Sunday to hand in its response to the reconciliation pact, but the visit was postponed, upon an Egyptian request, until Egypt's chief of intelligence Omar Suleiman returns to Egypt from a visit to several Arab countries.
Hamas, which received the draft of the pact about ten days ago, said it positively considers the pact, but it has some observations that need to be discussed with the Egyptian sponsors, mainly guarantees that won't repeat an international embargo on the movement after the elections.
"We simply want guarantees from the countries which sponsor the dialogue and the reconciliation because we don't want to repeat the same problems resulted from previous signed agreements," said Radwan, adding "Hamas observations would certainly lead to the success of the reconciliation."
The 25-page pact first calls for the signing on it by all factions, then immediately implementing it by deploying a 3,000-men security force in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, and forming a temporary highest joint factional body to coordinate between Gaza Hamas government and the Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank.
The pact, which was formed in coordination with all factions also calls for holding the general elections for presidential, legislative and Palestinian National Council (PNC) (the Palestinian parliament in exile) in the Palestinian territories and abroad on June 28 next year.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party accepted the pact and signed on it on Thursday with no reservations, waiting for Hamas movement also to accept and sign it. However, Hamas leaders said it has four observations that need to be discussed with the Egyptian sponsor.
"Hamas is looking forward to setting up another new appointment with Cairo, after the meeting on Sunday was postponed, in order to discuss our observations related to forming the security apparatuses, the position of the armed resistance against Israel and the elections," said Radwan.
Hamas said that it rejects any commitment to the international Quartet requirements, mainly the recognition of Israel. It also wants guarantees that if Hamas wins in the elections, no embargo will be imposed on its government, and it has to gain full Arab and international support.
Furthermore, Gaza Hamas lawmaker Mushir el-Masri denied earlierreports saying that Hamas movement will sign the reconciliation pact in Cairo as soon as Damascus-based Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal returns back from a secret visit to one of the Arab countries to consult reconciliation.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Dahlan, Fatah party's central committee member, told a news conference in Ramallah that his movement took a final decision, which is to go to general elections according to its constitutional date on Jan. 25, 2010, if Hamas keeps eluding from signing the reconciliation pact.
Dahlan, who accused Hamas movement for trying to spread chaos in the West Bank, which is ruled by President Abbas and their Fatah movement, said "Fatah will not accept to be a hostage for Hamas moods, we will go to elections because we are sure that Hamas doesn't want both reconciliation and elections."
However, Dahlan told reporters that "from here I tell Hamas to stop using the terminology of al-Moqawama (armed resistance) and link it with the reconciliation, because if an internal deal is not reached, the whole region would face more Israeli military escalation and more expansion of settlement."
Reports published on Monday by Gaza-based news websites quoted senior Egyptian source as saying that Egypt is angry on Hamas, and has accused it for creating pretexts in order to escape from signing the pact. The reports said Egypt has also threatened to stop mediating and sponsoring the dialogue.
However, el-Masri denied the report that Egypt was angry at his movement, saying such reports "are just a joke," and "we have our official channels of contacts with Egypt and we haven't received any Egyptian resentment. Egypt knows the great flexibility that Hamas showed to succeed the reconciliation."
