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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Hamas rejects Fayyad as head of unity govt |
| 2011-06-13 |
| RAMALLAH, West Bank: Fatah on Sunday nominated caretaker Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to head the national unity government. Hamas promptly rejected the nomination. Jamal Mhaisen, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, said that the party’s decision-making body met late Saturday and nominated Fayyad to lead the technocratic government that will be formed in accordance with the national reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas signed early last month in Cairo. Mhaisen hoped other Palestinian factions would accept the nomination. The Palestinian factions are scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss the formation of the new government. Salah Al-Bardawil, a Hamas spokesman, said his movement will oppose the choice of Fayyad. "We will not hand over the unity government to Fayyad, who has driven the West Bank into debt," Al-Bardawil said, and added that Fayyad "is an undesirable personality for the Palestinian people." In Saturday’s meeting, Fatah’s Central Committee also decided to expel onetime Gaza strongman Mohammed Dahlan from the movement on charges of “financial corruption and murder," an official said. The decision must now be approved by a two-thirds majority of Fatah's Revolutionary Council. |
| Posted by:Steve White |