Deputy-speaker of Palestinian parliament calls for a new cabinet

Thursday December 13, 2007 15:02 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC&Agencies

Palestinian deputy-speaker of parliament, Ahmad Bahhar of Hamas, called today on president Mahmoud Abbas to name a new prime minister for forming a new government, in a bid to find a way out of current political stalemate.

Deputy-speaker of parliament, Ahmad Bahhar of Hamas/ Maan News Agency photo

Bahhar also hoped a return of dialogue between Hamas and Fatah, in an attempt to fill in the gap between Palestinians, for the best of Palestinian national unity.

During a press conference in Gaza, the Hamas leader called on the Ramallah-based government of prime minister Salam Fayyad, to stop what he termed ' absurdity' in relation with the Israeli side, warning of 'gravity' of both overt and covert security coordination with Israel.

He also wondered of what he regards ' ignorance by president Abbas of the underway Israeli siege on Gaza, during the latter's trips outside Palestine, asking him for helping putting an end to such a situation.

Bahhar branded the Fayyad-headed cabinet ' unconstitutional and illegal', criticizing the cabinet's decision to cut off salaries of the Hamas-linked Gaza members of parliament as well as those of 39.000 other Gaza-based government employees.

"the economic plan, Fayyad has recently prepared for the upcoming Paris conference, aims at further deepening the division between the West Bank and Gaza Strip", the deputy-speaker believed.

With regards to latest Israeli attacks on Gaza, the Hamas MP said "these attacks constitute one of the fruits of the Washington-sponsored Annapolis peace conference, held in November27.

He reiterated call for the Islamic and Arab countries to intervene with Egypt's president Husni Mubarak, for the sake of reopening the Rafah terminal crossing in southern Gaza to allow patients out for treatment abroad.

Since mid June, Israel has been imposing a crippling closure on the Gaza Strip, after Hamas-linked forces wrestled control over the coastal region amidst months of power struggle with Fatah party of President Abbas.

Abbas has outlawed the Islamist Hamas and formed a caretaker government in Ramallah, calling on Gaza residents to boycott the 'deposed' Hamas government.

gaza strip | palestinian politics | news report rami at imemc dot org