Palestinian factions and lawmakers will hold their first round of inter-Palestinian dialogue on May 23,Yasser Abed Rabbo, member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) announced on Sunday.

He told reporters that the dialogue would involve all Palestinian powers, including factions, government, legislators, the PLO and representative of civil society, notables and leaders of religions.

Aims of the dialogue would vary between toning down internal tensions and discussing ways of confronting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's plan to carry out unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank, said the PLO official.

"We have to sit and confer seriously without accusations and advanced attitudes of holding a single party responsibility, especially when it comes to issues of vital concerns," said Abed Rabbo.

He added that Olmert's plan, which is based on annexing West Bank to Israel, separating Jerusalem and Gaza from the West Bank and turning the Palestinian territories into isolated cantons would be deeply discussed at the dialogue.

The proposed dialogue, which was called for to be held earlier this month by President Mahmoud Abbas in late April, was postponed due to differences among political factions.

Source: Xinhua