Head of the Fateh bloc in the Palestinian Legislative Council, Azzam Al Ahmed, said Friday that the Fateh party is ready to return to dialogue for national unity government formation. He gave it two weeks, telling a Ramallah press conference that if talks were not completed within that time frame, the President would move forward with early elections.

“The decision by President Mahmoud Abbas to  call for Presidential and Legislative elections is serious. President Abbas is holding consultations with the Central Elections Commission and the relevant parties for the provision of the technical and security aspects of holding elections.”

It was made clear that these preparations will be held in parallel with the dialogue to form a national unity government, as Al Ahmed stressed, “The bitter experience with the referendum will not be repeated.”

However, Al Ahmed was still blaming Hamas for the deterioration in political conditions, suggesting that Prime Minister Haniya is attempting to disrupt a free dialogue by withdrawing from the Supreme Committee of the Palestinian Factions in Gaza, and the Joint Commission. The head of the Fateh bloc in the PLC called on Hamas to return immediately to the committees. He also said that Hamas should stop talking about the assassinations and the attempt against the Prime Minister. “This only causes unease in the air and a state of standstill in the street.”

Regarding the deployment of the Presidential Guard, Al Ahmed said, “President Abbas is the Commander-in-Chief and has the right to deploy these forces to protect the security of the homeland and the citizen, and the Ministry of the Interior was unable to carry out its responsibility.” The Interior Ministry, run by Hamas member Said Siyam, is responsible for the Executive Forces with whom Fateh was fighting.

Al Ahmed concluded his press conference in the central West Bank city by once again pointing a finger at Prime Minister Haniya and denying that President Abbas will be meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday.