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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Hamas bloc convenes Palestinian Legislative Council for second time this month |
| 2007-11-22 |
| Ma'an – The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) is scheduled meet in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday to discuss proposal calling for the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in what is now Israel. This is the second PLC session that Hamas-affiliated lawmakers have convened this month. The chamber was closed for months due to a political standoff between Hamas and Fatah factions. Hamas PLC member Yahya Mousa said that a decision to reaffirm the right of return for Palestinians forcibly displaced in 1948 be "historic." 28 Hamas PLC members will attend the session, who, Mousa said, will also represent another 35 legislators who are currently imprisoned in Israel. By allowing jailed lawmakers to designate surrogates to represent them at the meeting, Hamas is able to muster a quorum of the parliamentary body. Fatah, who boycotted the last meeting, has called this practice "illegal." Mousa called on other Palestinian parties to attend the meeting, but did not say whether any groups other than Hamas would attend. He also did not say whether legislators from the West Bank would join the session by telephone, as they did during the most recent meeting. |
| Posted by:Fred |