Palestinian factions agree on unity cabinet
Source: Reuters
(Adds detail, quotes, background) By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA, March 14 (Reuters) - President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas agreed on the make-up of a Palestinian unity government on Wednesday and will submit it to parliament for approval on Saturday, officials said. The cabinet deal was reached when Abbas and Haniyeh settled on an academic with little security experience for the hotly-contested post of interior minister, which oversees key security services. "We have finished all the issues relating to the formation of the government," Haniyeh said after talks with Abbas in Gaza. Palestinians hope the deal will end fighting between the secular Fatah and the Islamist Hamas, and ease a crippling Western aid embargo of the Palestinian Authority, though it is unclear whether either goal will be accomplished. As Abbas and Haniyeh were meeting, nine people, including two children, were wounded in another bout of factional violence between Fatah and Hamas. A Hamas official identified the new interior minister as Hani Al-Qawasma, who has no known political affiliation. The interior minister technically oversees the major Palestinian security services. But in practice, most of the forces answer to Abbas's Fatah faction and the newly-created Executive Force answers to Hamas. The key post of deputy prime minister will be filled by Azzam al-Ahmad of Fatah, a close adviser to Abbas and a long-time political foe of Hamas. Ahmad is currently the head of the Fatah parliamentary bloc. As previously announced, pro-Western economist Salam Fayyad will be finance minister and Ziad Abu Amr, a political science professor, will be foreign minister. The full cabinet line-up will be unveiled on Thursday, officials from both sides said. "Our message to the world is clear. We are united under a unity government and one political agenda. The people now have a united choice and we expect great world support," said Ghazi Hamad, a spokesman for the Hamas-led government. Abbas adviser Nabil Abu Rdainah said: "All parties should support and deal with this government." But Israel has vowed to boycott the government, including non-Hamas ministers, unless it recognises the Jewish state, renounces violence and accepts interim peace deals. Washington has also made clear to the Palestinians that the embargo will not be lifted until the three conditions are met. Ahmed Bahar of Hamas, who serves as acting parliamentary speaker since Israel's arrest of the assembly's head Aziz Dweik last year, said Saturday's special session would begin at 11 a.m. (0900 GMT). Lawmakers will discuss the unity government's political platform and hold a vote of confidence, he said. VAGUE PROMISE The unity government agreement contains a vague promise to "respect" previous Israeli-Palestinian pacts. It does not commit the incoming government to abide by those pacts, nor to recognise Israel and renounce violence as demanded by Quartet partners the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia. Haniyeh's political adviser, Ahmed Youssef, said Hamas might be willing in the future to suspend "armed resistance" to pursue a "political" approach to the conflict with Israel. "Hamas's thinking may witness ideological changes in the coming stage," Youssef told the London-based Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat. "Why increase the armed work? Let's try through politics and if we do not achieve what we want then we can return to resistance again." But Youssef said Hamas would not recognise Israel and would remain opposed to a two-state solution. Abbas and Haniyeh were under pressure to cut a deal quickly fearing that factional fighting might spiral out of control. Earlier on Wednesday, members of Hamas's Executive Force attacked a house with rocket propelled grenades near Gaza City, not far from where unidentified gunmen on Tuesday shot dead a member of the group's armed wing, local residents said.
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