Palestinian President and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas and the
ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)'s chief Khaled Mashaal
Thursday signed a agreement on forming a national unity government
following three days of intensive and marathon dialogues held in
Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
The agreement consists of four major points. The first is a
prohibition of shedding the Palestinian blood (ending all kinds of
fighting), the second is formation of a national unity
government.
The third and fourth points in the agreement are related to the
formation of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and also
manifesting the political partnership among all Palestinian powers
and factions.
Abbas' media advisor Nabil Amr read the agreement ahead of the
signature in the ceremony attended by Saudi King Saudi King
Abdullah Ibn Abdul-Aziz and Saudi officials.
"We reached a final agreement on forming a national unity
government, and we agreed to start soon constitutional measures to
form it as soon as the leaders of the two movements get back to the
Palestinian territories," Amr said.
Abbas asked current Prime Minister Ismail Haneya to form the new
government, according to a letter of designation read out by
Amr.
"After reading the Palestinian basic law, I (Abbas) designates
you (Haneya) to form the upcoming Palestinian government within a
certain period of time, then to be approved by the president and by
the Palestinian parliament," said Abbas' letter of designation.
"I call you to be committed to the highest interests of the
Palestinian people and protect their rights according to the
decisions of the previous National Council and the Arab summits,"
Abbas said.
He also called on Haneya to "respect the legitimate
international resolutions and the agreements that Palestine
Liberation Organization had signed."
The deal on cabinet portfolios will see former Culture Minister
Ziad Abu Amr nominated as foreign minister and Salam Fayyad as
finance minister, a post he has held before.
Hamas and Fatah officials confirmed the names. Hamas is expected
to suggest a neutral figure for the interior post. All three
portfolios have been in Hamas hands since it won elections last
year.
Under the deal, Fatah would take five minor cabinet portfolios
and Hamas would take eight including economy, labor and
justice.
They agreed on nominees for the finance and foreign affairs
portfolios, according to sources from Hamas and Fatah faction. The
interior ministry will also go to an independent but the two sides
have yet to agree on a candidate, they said.
Hamas, calling for the destruction of Israel, took the rein of
the Palestinian government last March after defeating long-dominant
Fatah movement in last legislative elections.
But Hamas-led government has been isolated by the international
community because it refused to renounce violence, recognize Israel
and respect previous peace accords, three demands rolled out by the
Quartet on the Middle East comprising the UN, the EU, the US and
Russia.
(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily February 9, 2007)
