RAMALLAH, May 28, 2012 (WAFA) – The Central Elections Commission (CEC) is expected to start work in Gaza on Monday with a meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh that should pave the way for the start of talks to form a unity government headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, according to Fatah leader Azzam al-Ahmad.

He told Voice of Palestine radio that the meeting with Haniyeh will take place around noon and if everything goes well and the CEC starts work to update the voter registry in Gaza, a meeting will take place later in the day between him and a Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk in Cairo that would set the ground for the formation of the new unity government.

He stressed that the two events will not be simultaneous, as claimed, rather one will follow the other.

Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal agreed in the Qatari capital Doha in February that Abbas would head the new government that will be set up in consultation and agreement between all factions, but mainly Fatah and Hamas.

However, disagreement over which start first, the CEC work in Gaza or consultations on government formation, has delayed this matter until Ahmad and Abu Marzouk agreed in a meeting in Cairo on May 20 to the have two start simultaneously on the same day.

Ahmad said that if all goes well, Abbas and Meshaal will hold a meeting in Cairo in 10 days to announce the new government.

However, Palestinian factions expressed skepticism regarding the outcome of these efforts by Fatah and Hamas.

Kayed al-Ghoul, a senior leader in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, told the radio that from past experiences and failure of the two sides to end their differences in spite of agreements, his organization remains skeptical regarding this new agreement between Fatah and Hamas.

Similar feelings were echoed by other PLO factions.

M.S.