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Abbas promises to make real reforms

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed with top aides Saturday on "real" reforms in the ruling Fatah movement and to continue a crackdown on armed Palestinian gangs hampering efforts to restore stability to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Abbas emerged from the closing session of three days of meetings of the 16-member Fatah Central Committee -- the first in more than 5 years -- to reiterate that Palestinians were "completely prepared" to take over control of Gaza following Israel's imminent pullout.

A Palestinian takeover will be "quiet, clean and respectful," Abbas told reporters before he embarked on a North African tour that will include stops in Mauritania and Libya.

He said the Fatah members also discussed appointing a vice president but no names were mentioned.

The Fatah meeting took place in Jordan so the largest possible number of committee members could attend, including exiled leaders who refuse to deal with Israel.

Nabil Shaath, a minister of information in the Palestinian Authority, said they agreed on "real reforms, to review the past and to establish new institutions." He said elections would be held in the ruling Fatah faction to allow the "young generation" to take part in the decision making.

He declined to discuss details on the planned reforms but said Palestinians may resort to a law which will scrutinize officials' private finances.

"The law of `where did you get this from,' will be implemented retroactively," he said. He did not say when the law will be enforced but stressed that his government was keen to "uproot corruption."

Separately, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said there was consensus on "regulating armament."

He did not elaborate. Shaath told a news conference later that the reference was to armed Palestinian gangs "who use weapons, not to defend the country, but for blackmailing and killing."

Armed gangs, some affiliated with the mainstream Fatah, rule the streets of the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinian security forces lost control of their streets during four years of Palestinian-Israeli violence.

Shaath said Fatah leaders established a committee to "consolidate dialogue" with different factions, including militant groups like Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.

"We welcomed the participation of the Palestinian factions in a coalition government to unify the efforts after Israel's withdrawal from Gaza," he said.

In the West Bank city of Ramallah on Saturday, Abbas office confirmed that the Palestinian leader has asked Hamas militants to join his Cabinet to improve prospects of a peaceful takeover of Gaza following Israel's withdrawal. Hamas' West Bank leader, Hassan Yousef, said the group was considering the offer.

He said Fatah leaders also have overcome differences between the Foreign Ministry and the Palestinian Liberation Organization's political office, headed by Farouk Kaddoumi.
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