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The
following is the full text of the program of the Palestinian
National Unity Government, excluding the preamble and the concluding
remarks of the Prime Minister:
Based on
the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights; in keeping with the
National Conciliation Agreement; in light of the Letter of
Appointment; and in view of the fact that we are still undergoing
the stage of liberation and construction, the program of the
National Unity Government is based on the following:
First: On the Political Level
1. The Government affirms that the key to security and stability in
the region lies in ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian
territories and recognizing the right to self determination of the
Palestinian people. The government will work with our Arab brethren
and the international community towards ending the occupation and
restoring the legitimate rights of our people, foremost of which is
the establishment of an independent state that exercises full
sovereignty over all the lands occupied in 1967, with Jerusalem as
its capital, in order that we can lay a solid foundation for peace,
security and prosperity in the region and for the future
generations.
2. The Government is committed to the higher national interests of
the Palestinian people and vows to protect these rights and preserve
and develop their achievements and work towards realizing their
national goals as ratified by the resolutions of National Councils
and the articles of the Basic Law and the National Conciliation
Agreement and the resolutions of Arab summits. Based upon this, the
government respects the decisions of international legitimacy and
the agreements that have been signed by the PLO.
3. The
Government will devote special efforts to encourage all Palestinian
parties to expedite implementation of the Cairo Agreement concerning
the PLO.
4. The Government rejects the so-called state with temporary borders
proposed by the American-Israeli plan.
5. To affirm and adhere to the right of return, and to invite the
international community to implement the provisions of Resolution
194 pertaining to Palestinian refugees’ right to return to the lands
and properties from which they were evicted, and to compensation..
6. The Government vows to work diligently for the sake of liberating
the heroic women and men prisoners from the Israeli occupation’s
prisons, as well as working towards the release of abducted PLC
members, ministers, and heads and members of local councils.
7. The Government commits itself to confront the occupation’s
measures on the ground: assassinations, arrests, invasions, military
checkpoints; as well as dealing with the issue of crossing points,
the siege, and closures.
8. To
consolidate relations with Arab, Islamic, and other friendly
countries and peace- and justice-loving forces, and to cooperate
with the regional and international arenas on the basis of mutual
respect.
Second:
Jerusalem
1. The
formation of a higher committee for Jerusalem affairs in
coordination with the Executive Committee of the PLO in order to
follow up issues having to do with steadfastness in Jerusalem, and
for earmarking a clear governmental budget for Jerusalem within the
general budget.
2. To
confront Israeli policies concerning Jerusalem’s land, people, and
holy places, and to work towards securing sufficient resources in
the budget to support the steadfastness of our people in Jerusalem;
to expose the occupation’s practices concerning the city and in the
al-Aqsa Mosque; to reactivate the Jerusalem issue in all regional
and international forums; to invite the Arab and Islamic people to
shoulder their responsibilities in defending Jerusalem and
supporting its people politically and in the media.
Third: On the Level of Confronting the Occupation
1. The Government affirms that all forms of resistance, including
popular mass resistance to the occupation, is a legitimate right of
the Palestinian people as guaranteed by all international norms and
charters; the Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves
against the continuous Israeli aggression.
2. The Government will work, through national conciliation, on
consolidating and enhancing the calm so it will become
comprehensive, reciprocal, and concurrent, in return for the
commitment of the Israeli occupation to halt its measures on the
ground: to cease assassinations, arrests, incursions, home
demolitions, leveling of lands, and excavation works in Jerusalem;
to remove checkpoints; open crossing points; lift all restrictions
on movement; and set a time frame for the release of prisoners.
3. The Government affirms what has been noted in the National
Conciliation Agreement concerning the conduct of negotiations; these
are the prerogative of the PLO and the President of the Palestinian
National Authority, based on adherence to and realization of
Palestinian national goals, and based on the protection of
Palestinian principles. Any political agreement that is arrived at
must be presented to the new Palestinian National Council for
ratification, or be put before a general referendum of the
Palestinian people inside and abroad, based on legislation governing
it.
4. The
Government will work towards, and encourages relevant parties to
exert efforts in expediting the resolution of the imprisoned Israeli
soldier’s case in the context of an honorable agreement for the
exchange of prisoners and the return of deported persons.
5. The
Government affirms that the realization of peace and stability in
the area depends on the end of occupation and the regaining of the
national rights of our people, the dismantling of the racist wall
and settlements, the cessation of the Judaization of Jerusalem and
the policy of annexation and all other forms of racist
discrimination, and the restoration of Palestinians’ rights to their
owners.
Fourth: on the Security Level
The national unity government realizes the difficulty of internal
conditions, and believes that its top priority in the coming stage
is to control the current security conditions. This requires full
cooperation between the Presidency and the Government. In order to
realize this, the Government will rely on the following:
1. To call and work for the reconstitution of the Higher National
Security Council as a point of reference for all security services
and the framework that organizes their work and defines their
policies.
2. To build the security forces on a professional basis and to
provide for their needs; to implement comprehensive reforms that
would remove the security forces’ partisan attributes; to remove the
forces from political conflict and contestation; to enhance their
loyalty to the homeland and the execution of the decisions of the
political leadership, and to ensure that the members of the security
services execute the tasks entrusted to them.
3. To ensure the execution of laws ratified by the PLC governing the
work of the security services.
4. To draw
and execute a comprehensive security plan to end all forms of
security chaos and infringements of the law; to protect life, honor,
and public and private property; to control firearms and provide
security to citizens; to work on ending the oppression inflicted on
people through the rule of law and support the police to perform its
duty in the best manner in the execution of the decisions of the
courts.
Fifth: on the Legal Level
1. The Government shall work in full cooperation with the judicial
authorities to ensure the reform, activation and protection of the
judicial apparatus with all its institutions in a manner that
enables it to perform its duties in the context of enhancing justice
and fighting corruption and affirming the rule of law and its
implementation with transparency, integrity, and neutrality; it will
follow up on cases of corruption and assaults upon public property.
2. The
Government affirms that it will work according to the Basic Law
which organizes the relations between the three authorities on the
basis of the separation of these authorities, and that it will
respect the authorities granted to each according to the Basic Law.
3- The
Government shall assist the President in performing his duties, and
will ensure cooperation and complementarity with the Presidency
according to the law and will work with the Legislative Council and
the judicial authorities towards developing the Palestinian
political system with the purpose of having a strong, unified
national authority.
Sixth: the Economic Situation
1. The Government shall work on ending the unjust siege in all its
forms imposed upon our people.
2. The
Government calls for the revision of the Paris Economic Protocols in
order to liberate the Palestinian economy from dependency.
3. To give
priority to the development of the Palestinian economy, and to
provide protection to the productive and service sectors of the
economy; to encourage national exports, with the preservation of the
support to national products with all possible means; to develop
economic and commercial relations with the Arab and Islamic worlds
and with the European Union and the rest of the world.
4. To protect the consumer and to encourage the private sector and
provide the proper climate for its activity; to strengthen the
peaceful rules governing the relations between the government and
the private sector; to end monopolies and to determine the means of
handling available resources and their just distribution. The
Government will work towards providing an enabling climate of
stability and protection for investment projects.
5. The
Government encourages economic development that is in keeping with
our values and customs and which realizes social justice in a way
that serves development, the protection of the private sector, the
encouragement of investments and combating unemployment and poverty,
and strengthening productive sectors and rebuilding the
infrastructure and developing industrial areas, the housing sectors,
and technology.
6. To
re-evaluate investment laws and to put a limit to monopolies between
the executive authority and the private sector.
7. To
support the agricultural sector and increase the developmental
budget allocated to it.
8. To work
towards regularizing the payment of salaries of public sector
employees, and a commitment to a schedule of payment for unpaid
salaries, as well as for the payment of debts owed to the private
sector.
9. To pay
due attention to workers, farmers and fishermen, and to work towards
relieving their suffering through support and special projects.
Seventh: in the Area of Reform
1. The government adopts the project for financial and
administrative reform, and will cooperate with the PLC in developing
legislation that will enhance reform and combat corruption.
2. To
develop administrative structures and work procedures in
governmental institutions in order to ensure the effectiveness of
their work and its conformity with the law.
3. To draw
a plan for the rationalization of government spending in all areas.
4. To
fight corruption and strengthen the values of integrity and
transparency, to prevent the exploitation of public monies, and to
develop a Palestinian strategy for administrative development.
Eighth:
On the Level of Enhancing Palestinian Values
1. The Government commits itself to consolidate national unity,
protect social accord, and strengthen the values of mutual respect,
the adoption of the language of dialogue and an end to all forms of
tension, to enhance the culture of tolerance, protect Palestinian
life and ban internal fighting.
2. The government affirms the unity of the Palestinian people inside
and abroad.
3. The government shall seek to consolidate national conciliation
and internal stability, and will deal with the consequences of the
regrettable events through the appropriate mechanisms, while
respecting the principle of the rule of law and the provision of
protection to citizens and private and public property. I call upon
the families of martyrs of the regrettable incidents to show
restraint and patience, and affirm to them that we stand by them in
their time of sorrow and pain.
4. The
government is committed to the principle of citizenship through
equality in rights and obligations, equality of opportunity, and the
enhancement of social justice, especially in the realm of employment
and appointments in ministries and other institutions; it is
committed to lack of discrimination in general rights among all
citizens, and the end of all forms of nepotism in civil and security
appointments.
5. The
government affirms its protection of political pluralism, supports
the development of the elections law, the protection of general
freedoms, the strengthening of democratic values, the protection of
human rights, the strengthening of the principle of justice and
equality, the protection of freedom of the press and freedom of
opinion and expression, the right to differ, the rights of
Palestinian women, a commitment to the peaceful rotation of power,
and the completion of the elections for local councils as soon as
possible.
6. The
government is committed to strengthening political partnership and
encourages all parties to embark on a process of dialogue for its
achievement.
7. To
support and give assistance to the families of prisoners and martyrs
and to ensure that they live an honorable life and have their
special needs met.
8. The
Government is committed to ensure a decent life to citizens, and to
provide for basic needs concerning health care, social welfare, and
quality health, and to deal with poverty and unemployment through
the provision of work opportunities and developmental projects and
programs of social security.
9. The
Government will develop the education sector and improve the
conditions of teachers, encourage scientific research, and preserve
the neutrality of the educational system, and supports the
establishment of the National Fund for University Education.
10.
Utmost attention to youth and sports and the provision of basic
needs in this area, and the effort to expand the sports
infrastructure, including the expediting of the project for the
setting up a sports city and continuing participation in
international events, strengthening Palestinian participation in
Arab, regional, and international sports forums.
11. The
Government will sponsor the implementation of the special law for
people with special needs.
12. To
protect the rights of women and give them the opportunity for
political participation and decision-,making and participation in
the process of building in all instituons in all fields.
13. The
Government will encourage and support societal action and civil
society institutions.
Eighth:
International relations
The Government stresses its pride in its Arab and Islamic
extension and its appreciation for Arab and Islamic support
politically and economically and in the area of the media. The
Government is keen to commit itself to invigorating its role in the
Arab League and the Islamic Conference Organization, and looks
forward to the Arab Summit that will be held in Riyadh at the end of
this month and its decisions to end the siege and support and
protect the Mecca Accords. The Government is also proud of its
varied international relations that have strengthened due to
international support of our people and their legitimate rights, and
the government will work towards establishing correct and strong
relations with all nations of the world, and with international
institutions including the United Nations and the Security Council
and regional and international organizations and in accordance with
what assists our people in achieving its freedom and independence,
and contributes to the strengthening of world accord and stability.
The
Government affirms its commitment to the civilizational heritage
founded upon tolerance, coexistence and dialogue among
civilizations, and its respect for international law and
international humanitarian law in harmony with our values and
customs and traditions. The European Union has extended much
assistance to the Palestinian people, and has supported its right to
freedom and independence, and expressed serious positions
criticizing the policies of the occupation. This is also the policy
pursued by Russia, China, and Japan in their foreign policy towards
the Palestinian question. The Government is keen on building a
strong relationship with the European Union, Russia, the People’s
Republic of China, Japan, India, and the countries of Latin America,
and expects them to take practical steps to life the siege on our
people and exert pressure on the occupation authorities to end the
siege and respect the human rights as prescribed by international
covenants, to withdraw from our occupied land, and to cease the
belligerent and repeated measures taken against our people. The
Government is also keen on developing relations with permanent
members of the Security Council.
The
government invites the American administration to review its
policies concerning the Palestinian question and believes that it is
necessary for it to respect the choice of the Palestinian people as
embodied in the government of national unity, and to cease its
policy of dual criteria. The Government looks forward to good
relations between the Palestinian and American peoples. |
