ANKARA, Turkey - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in an interview broadcast Monday that he has the authority to remove the newly elected Hamas government from power, and he warned the government it had little choice but to negotiate with Israel| "Yes. This is my legitimate right. It is written." |
West Bank said the group would "not leave in silence" and threatened to stop recognizing a truce with Israel. "We will go, but we will not recognize the Palestinian political regime. We will not participate in any new election and we will go underground as we did before and we will not adhere to any commitments, any truce, by anyone. Being ousted from power will have a heavy price for everyone. We hope not to reach that."
| "We might get angry. You wouldn't like us when we're angry. And who cares about road repair schedules, school supplies, and recycling centers anyway? This whole responsibility thing blows." |
Aides to Abbas said his comments were meant as a warning to Khaled Mashaal, the Hamas leader who criticized the Palestinian president last week, and that Abbas doesn't plan on dissolving the government anytime soon. He will do so only if the economic situation in the territories becomes "catastrophic," they said. If Abbas were to dissolve the government, he would ask someone else to try to form a new Cabinet, which would need the approval of the Hamas-controled legislature. If a stalemate then emerged, Abbas has the authority to order new elections. In the interview, Abbas also said that Hamas had to face the facts and negotiate with Israel or the Palestinian people would be left to starve after the United States and European Union cut funding because of Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel or renounce violence.
"Hamas has to face the facts and establish communication with Israel," he said. "I'm worried that the situation will turn into a tragedy in the near future. A short time later, we could be up against a great hunger disaster in Palestine."Popcorn!!!
"Without help we can't stand on our feet long," he added. Abbas spoke during the interview in both Arabic and English and the interview was broadcast with a voice-over in Turkish. CNN-Turk provided The Associated Press with a full transcript of Abbas' remarks translated into Turkish. Abbas said that he would work for a solution with or without Hamas. "Hamas can support me or not. When I find a way to a solution with Israel, I'll present this to the Palestinian people in a referendum. The Palestinian people are above Hamas and other politicians," he said.