The ruling Hamas movement and President Mahmoud Abbas's office
accused each other Sunday of trying to derail a planned Palestinian
unity government that officials hope will lift Western sanctions.
Abbas aides said the president had frozen talks on the coalition
after Hamas said it would not accept interim peace deals with
Israel. Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said talks had only
been delayed while Abbas visited New York.
The row underscores the difficulties of forming a unity
government between two factions that have starkly different views
of Israel and threatens to unravel efforts to restore direct
Western aid that was cut when Hamas took office in March.
One Abbas aide, Ahmad Abdel-Rahman, said the Hamas militant
movement had reneged on the unity government deal, which Abbas and
Haniyeh agreed last Monday.
He said talks would be frozen until Abbas returned from a trip
to New York this week where he will attend the UN General Assembly.
Hamas seeks Israel's destruction while Abbas and his Fatah movement
want a two-state solution through negotiations.
"The president has frozen measures to form a unity government
after the conflicting statements issued by Hamas and its leaders,
which have prompted unfavorable international reactions,"
Abdel-Rahman said.
Haniyeh denied Abbas had frozen talks.
"There is an agreement between myself and President Abbas to
resume the dialogue when he comes back," Haniyeh told
reporters.
"It seems that statements were made by some people who do not
want to see formation of the national unity government."
Abbas earlier left the West Bank for Amman en route to the
United States, aides said. It was unclear when he would return.
On Saturday, Haniyeh insisted a document penned by Palestinian
prisoners in Israeli jails that serves as the basis for the unity
guidelines "does not recognize the occupation" Hamas's term for
Israel nor accepts existing peace deals.
The unity coalition deal states the new government would "honor"
past peace agreements including the 1993 Oslo peace accords, Abbas
aides have said.
"At the time the president is trying to market the unity
government program to international envoys, Haniyeh and Hamas
officials announce they are not committed to (past peace)
agreements," Abdel-Rahman said.
(China Daily September 18, 2006)
