Hamas boycotts PLC session called by President Mahmoud Abbas

Thursday July 12, 2007 00:56 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

All Hamas legislators in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip boycotted on Wednesday a Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) session called by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Fateh slammed Hamas and said that the movement is obstructing the conducts of the council.

Palestinian National Authrity

The session was the opening one for the new term of the PLC.

Hamas movement, which enjoys the vast majority at the council, boycotted the session both in Gaza and the West Bank in protest to dissolving the unity government headed by Ismail Haniyya.

 Hamas considered the emergency government, appointed by Abbas, as illegal, and refused to recognize it since Hamas won the vast majority of the PLC seats and government ministries during last year’s elections.

 Yet, the PLC, which is dominated by Hamas, is the legal authority that is entitled to vote on any extension of the Palestinian emergency government, since according to the Palestinian basic law, the emergency government can function for one month, and after that it must receive the approval of the PLC.

 President Abbas issued a decree last week calling for this PLC session in order to mark the beginning of the new term of the PLC. A new PLC speaker was suppose to be elected in this session, the current PLC speaker and his deputy are from Hamas.

 Hamas deputy speaker at the PLC, Dr. Ahmad Bahar, said that Abbas does not have the right to issue a decree calling for a parliament session, and that only PLC spokesperson is allowed to do that.

Israeli online daily Haaretz reported that a former legislator, Azmi Shu’aiby, said that in accordance to the basic law Abbas can rule by decree if the PLC fails to convene.

Meanwhile, legislator Dr. Hasan Kreisha of Fateh, said that the council could not convene as Hamas boycotted it, and added that Fateh still believes that there could be an agreement between Fateh and Hamas in order to hold the session.

Meanwhile, Azzam Al Ahmad, head of the Fateh bloc at the PLC, said that the basic Palestinian law authorizes the president to issues legislative decrees if the PLC continues to be unable to convene.

Al Ahmad accused Hamas of trying to foil the conducts of the PLC and accused the movement of barring its Gaza PLC members of convening and communicating with West Bank PLC members via video conference.

Due to the Israeli closure and restrictions, Hamas PLC members are not allowed into the West Bank. Israel even threatened to arrest them, as it arrested most of the Hamas legislators and officials in the West Bank, and even threatened to assassinated Ismail Haniyya and other senior Hamas leaders.

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