The Fatah-controlled Palestinian Parliament boosted President Mahmoud Abbas's powers Monday in what Hamas officials said was a last-minute bid to keep them in check after a sweeping election victory.

Hamas said it had chosen one of its leaders to be the next Palestinian prime minister, but refused to name him and said it was poised for formal talks with other factions on forming a national unity government.

Fatah lawmakers, in their final act before ceding to a new, Hamas-led parliament on Saturday, approved an amendment to an existing law which will give Abbas the authority to appoint judges to the Palestinian constitutional court without seeking legislative approval.

The outcome of the vote could be significant because judges on the court would have sweeping powers to decide whether laws approved by parliament are constitutional.

Fatah has a better chance of prevailing in the court if Abbas, a moderate who advocates peace with Israel, stacks it with loyalists.

Abbas's long-dominant Fatah faction was trounced in the January 25 parliamentary election by Hamas, an Islamic militant group dedicated to Israel's destruction and popular among Palestinians for its anti-corruption reputation.

A Hamas prime minister could complicate any Middle East peace efforts because Israel and the United States have said they will not talk with members of the group until it renounces violence and recognizes Israel.

Abbas has good relations with Washington and would be expected to take the lead in any future peace negotiations.

The new law was approved by a vote of 41 to three with one abstention, despite protests from Hamas members in attendance as observers before they are sworn in.

Tensions flare

Some of Hamas's newly elected parliamentarians shouted at Fatah lawmakers after the vote, accusing them of overstepping their authority and trying to undo the election.

"This law means giving full powers to President Abbas to dissolve parliament any time he wishes," said Hamas's Abdel-Aziz Dweik, who was elected to represent the West Bank city of Hebron.

Dweik said parliament had taken an "illegal" action, but acknowledged it would be difficult for Hamas to reverse the decision since doing so would require a two-thirds vote.

Palestinian negotiator and Fatah lawmaker Saeb Erekat countered that the changes "strengthen the separation of powers between the judicial branch, the executive and the legislative branch." "This is a legal session... We are not conspiring against anybody. We are simply doing our jobs," Erekat said.

Before the amendment, the law required parliament to approve presidential appointments to the judiciary.

In Gaza, several sources close to the Hamas's deliberations for a new prime minister said Ismail Haniyeh, head of its parliamentary slate, was a top contender for the post.

Haniyeh is a pragmatist who survived an Israeli air strike in 2003 targeting Hamas' leadership. But his militant background could be a further provocation to the United States.

Hamas has masterminded nearly 60 suicide bombings against Israelis since a Palestinian uprising began in 2000, but has largely adhered to a truce declared last March.

(China Daily February 14, 2006)