Palestinian leaders to open talks on new government

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Ramallah – Sona Al-Deek Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will on Thursday start talks on the new government, after signing an agreement in Doha between Fatah and Hamas where it was agreed that Abbas would head the prospective government. The movement is preparing for elections that were scheduled to be in May.
Azzam Al-Ahmad, a member of Fatah's central committee and head of the Fatah delegation for national reconciliation, has said that Palestinian leaders, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, will meet on Thursday for talks on the formation of an independent national government comprised of technocrats.
Al-Ahmad expressed his belief that it was Abbas' right to appoint himself as premiere, saying that there was no law preventing him from doing so. Palestine "is a presidential system not a parliamentary one. I advise those opposing the move to check legal texts," he added.
Many Palestinian leaders and institutions consider Abbas' appointment to be unconstitutional according to the 2003 constitutional amendments, which stipulated the separation of the national authority head and the prime minister.
Al-Ahmad said: "It is time to join hands to implement the reconciliation deal and end the division. The best solution posed to the international community amidst the ongoing international changes is for the president to take the helm of the unity government," stressing that this was already discussed with Hamas a year ago.
For his part, Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum denied claims spread by Al-Arabiya news network that there were disputes within the movement over the Doha declaration.
Barhoum said the reports were untrue and stressed that the Doha declaration was a package deal that would be implemented as a whole and simultaneously in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
 The spokesperson said Hamas was committed to eliminating all obstacles to the national reconciliation and the Doha declaration vindicated its credibility.
He noted that any upcoming interim government should be formed according to the Palestinian basic law and embark on preparing for general elections, breaking the blockade on the Gaza Strip, reconstructing it and networking with all regional and international parties to support the justice of the Palestinian cause.
In this regard, second deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Hasan Khareisha said that the agreement on naming Abbas as premier of the coming caretaker government could be an acceptable way out at the current stage, especially since Abbas was insistent on Salam Fayyad.
Khareisha noted, however, that Abbas's appointment was against basic Palestinian law and set the clock back because he would hold two posts, the PA presidency and the premiership, as happened before with late president Yasser Arafat.
He emphasised that there could be a solution to the matter by convening the PLC to amend the law
Palestinian political circles in Gaza and West Bank are also talking about potential candidates in the new government, such as Hanan Ashrawi to head the ministry of foreign affairs.
Meanwhile, Fatah started to prepare for elections scheduled in May, according to the reconciliation agreement that was signed in Cairo by the Palestinian factions.
Elections have not been held in the Palestinian territories since January 2006, when Hamas’ victory resulted in civil war. At the cessation of hostilities Fatah remained in control of the West Bank while Hamas achieved dominance in the Gaza Strip — with each party establishing rival governments.
 Secretary-general of Fatah Revolutionary Council Amin Maqboul said Wednesday in a press release that Fatah and its leadership will not repeat the mistakes of 2006.
He revealed that Fatah formed a committee for elections to help its members during the voting period.