Friday, April 10, 2009

Abbas move to form new govt denied

Mohammed Mar’i | Arab News —


RAMALLAH: A senior Palestinian official yesterday denied that President Mahmoud Abbas intends to form a new Palestinian government next week.

Yasser Abed Rabbo, secretary-general of the PLO’s Executive Committee said in a statement that “the reports are rootless,” adding “this subject has not been raised even for discussion and the current acting government would remain until President Abbas makes his mind.” The report, published by the Jerusalem-based Al-Manar daily, quoted well-informed sources as saying that Abbas intends to designate current Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to form a new Palestinian government next week.

Hamas threatened that if Abbas forms a new government headed by Fayyad again, it would name a new interior minister to succeed late minister Said Siam, who was killed during January Israeli offensive on Gaza.

“If Abbas forms a government headed by Fayyad, for us (Hamas) it means that Abbas undermines all attempts to bridge the gaps in the dialogue to reach an agreement and end the rift,” said Ismail Radwan, Hamas spokesman.

Rival Fatah and Hamas movements are still negotiating the formation of a national accordance government for both Gaza and West Bank.

However, they still disagree on the political platform of the new unity government. They will return to Cairo on April 26 to continue the broader talks.

After Hamas took over Gaza Strip by force in June 2007, Abbas sacked the three-month-old Hamas-led national unity government, and nominated Fayyad to form a caretaker government to rule the Palestinian affairs. But Hamas leaders in Gaza rejected Abbas decree and continued acting in the Gaza Strip, which is under a very tight Israeli blockade. The talks between the two rival sides hadn’t yet achieved any breakthrough.

Nonetheless, a senior Fatah leader said the two movements agreed on continuing bilateral meetings until reaching a pact ending all controversial issues. The agreement was reached following a 90-minute meeting between delegations of Hamas and Fatah in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on Wednesday night.


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