GAZA CITY, 15 September 2006 — Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas said the unity government would target three issues, as Palestinians awaited yesterday the official dissolution of the Hamas-controlled government and the formation of a national unity Cabinet after six months of crisis.
Abbas said securing the release of the captured Israeli soldier and solving the issue of the Palestinian prisoners, working out a comprehensive truce and the lifting of the current siege imposed on the Palestinian people are the three issues that will dominate the new government. He said this at a meeting with Fatah members in the West Bank city of Ramallah, adding, “We have agreed with Hamas and other parties upon a political program...there are some obstacles but I hope it will succeed.”
Talks were progressing slowly over the makeup of the new government, which will include for the first time representatives from both Hamas and Fatah party. “For the moment, we haven’t reached an agreement on the portfolios,” Salah Bardawil, a spokesman for Hamas’ faction in Parliament, said.
Abbas and outgoing Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, who is to retain his post in the new Cabinet, clinched a deal on Monday.
It was not clear when Abbas would dissolve the current government and formally charge Haniyeh with forming the new Cabinet. Several key ministerial posts, including finance, foreign affairs and interior, are likely to go to Abbas’ Fatah party or independents.
Meanwhile, Israeli military prosecutors yesterday appealed a court order to release on bail 18 officials from the ruling Palestinian party Hamas who were rounded up last month. The appeal will be examined by the Ofer military court on Monday morning, until when the 18 officials, including parliamentary Speaker Aziz Dweik, will remain in custody, defense lawyer Jawad Boulos said.
— With input from agencies
