Arafat, Fatah PLC members to discuss reform: sources

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Fatah members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) will gather on Monday night to discuss reforms of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), said Palestinian official sources.

The main aim of the Monday meeting is to discuss the practical steps of starting reforms in the PNA institutions, according to the sources.

The PLC members are to convene Tuesday in Ramallah to discuss a report presented by the parliamentary committee which was formed by the council to follow up the steps towards reforms.

The PLC postponed the conference last week upon request of the head of the committee for preparation of the report after Arafat delivered a speech before the PLC last Wednesday addressing reforms of the PNA.

Jamal Shatti, chief of the committee, said earlier that thecommittee had not prepared any positive or negative report yet, for the committee had not met since last Thursday.

Members of the committee were divided regarding their positions on the speech of Arafat who called for forming a nation-wide workshop of reforms with the participation of all Palestinians.Some members wanted Arafat to sign presidential decrees to translate the words of his speech into deeds while others believed that the speech was a document itself.

PLC members revealed that Arafat sent a letter last Thursday to Rawhi Fatouh, PLC speaker, reiterating that he was committed to the text and the spirit of the speech.

Some legislative members expected that the letter could be seen as Arafat's assurance that the speech was a document officially issued by the president.

Source: Xinhua