Fatah, Hamas welcome Moroccan mediation in reconciliation

Khaled Meshaal Khaled Meshaal, the politburo chief of Hamas, and Fatah executive commission member Azzam al-Ahmad on Saturday welcomed Morocco's mediating role in national reconciliation efforts between the two rival movements in Palestine.
Meshaal on Saturday attended the opening of the first conference of Morocco’s ruling Justice and Development Party (PJD) since the moderate Islamists won November polls.
“Khaled Meshaal arrived yesterday evening in Rabat and is participating in the opening of our party conference,” Abdelaali Hamiddine, a PJD leader, told AFP
"We welcome this initiative which could pave for a main role for Morocco in achieving the Palestinian reconciliation," said Meshaal.
Al-Ahmad said his movement's negotiations with Hamas had advanced recently, but practical steps were halted as the Palestinian Authority's Central Electoral Commission was not offered the required cooperation from Hamas in order to carry out its work in the Gaza Strip.
Al-Ahmad said he hoped the two movements would overcome this problem soon, so that the reconciliation process would be back on track.
The Fatah official hailed ties between his movement and Morocco's PJD, saying that Fatah's participation in the conference reflects the Palestinian movement's eagerness to increase coordination with Morocco's ruling party and to strengthen ties between the countries' political leadership.
Al-Ahmad also praised the Moroccan experience in democratic change and peaceful transfer of power, describing it as "a role model in the Arab world.
"We were very happy that the Moroccan parties have agreed a ruling coalition to lead the country at this stage, this agreement reflected that the political parties care for Morocco's unity, as well as their eagerness to contribute to the development and construction process in the country. I believe that the success of democratic change in Morocco gives hope for a bright future for democracy in the entire Arab region," he added.
"We hope that our Moroccan brothers help us achieve the reconciliation, especially considering their brilliant experience in managing relations between Moroccan political parties on a full democratic basis," said Fatah's al-Ahmad.
More than 2,000 people were present at the start of the congress in Rabat, which took place under the theme of “good governance,” and in the wake of last year’s Arab Spring uprisings that swept the region, bringing regime change to three north African countries.
The PJD won parliamentary elections in November that were called early by King Mohammed VI to pre-empt swelling Arab Spring-inspired protests in Morocco, and its leader, Abdelilah Benkirane, was appointed prime minister in January.
Meshaal, whose Palestinian Islamist movement rules Gaza, flew to Morocco from Tunisia, where he participated in the first home congress in 24 years of the ruling Islamist party there, Ennahda. It had swept to power following the ouster of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011.
“What has happened in the Arab and Muslim world recently is incredible and it has not finished,” Benkirane told delegates at the opening of the two-day conference.
“The Syrian people are a courageous people. I’m sure, God willing, that it is the Syrian people who will win in the end,” the prime minister added, referring to the 16-month-old conflict which activists say has left more than 17,000 people dead.
Benkirane is expected to be reelected as leader of the party.