"We will discuss the formation of a Palestinian national unity government," central committee member Salim Zaanun told reporters before going into the meeting. "President Abbas will brief the meeting on [contacts] he has had with all the factions, particularly Hamas, in order to reach a united format for the future government in which we hope all will take part," he said.
"The Fatah movement believes that we must achieve a national unity government in which all Palestinians factions are represented," Zaanun added.
Abbas' Fatah has been locked in a power struggle with the militant Islamist movement Hamas that trounced Fatah in January elections and now leads the Palestinian government.
Fatah officials said that the Amman meetings will be an important cornerstone for the future of the movement, which Arab and Israeli analysts have said is heading toward disintegration.
"We are going through difficult times," former Palestinian prime minister and committee member Ahmed Qurei told reporters as he headed to the talks. "We need to put order in our internal affairs and this is what are meetings are all about," he said.
"We will discuss the renewal of Fatah and its leadership and bringing in new blood into the movement and in light of that we will, perhaps, set a date for Fatah's 6th congress," which last met in August 1989, Qurei added.
Fellow committee member Abbas Zaki said that Fatah was hoping that Hamas will not impose its political program on the Palestinian government, pointing to Shiite faction Hezbollah's behavior after its month-long war with Israel.
"We are not asking Hamas to recognize Israel but we are calling on Hamas to emulate the victorious Hezbollah, which placed its victories [against Israel] at the service of united Lebanese interests," Said Zaki.
"We are asking of Hamas national unity ... and that it leaves to the government its international agreements and the Arab peace initiative," he said, in reference to the Palestinian accords with Israel.
Hamas does not recognize Israel's right to exist and has steadfastly rejected the 1993 Palestinian autonomy accords with the Jewish state.
The Amman meetings are attended by 16 central committee members, including the Palestine Liberation Organization's foreign minister Farouk Qaddumi.
© 2006 Agence France-Presse
To add a comment,
Please log in:
Don't have an account?
Register now to comment on stories and stay up to date on important events and issues in the Middle East with our newsletter.