Lawmakers of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party
decided on Saturday to reject an invitation to join a governing
coalition led by the Islamist militant group Hamas, party officials
said.
Hamas, which swept to a surprise victory in January 25
parliamentary elections, has been asked to form a government which
it expects to achieve later this month.
Fatah legislators met on Saturday to decide on Hamas's invitation
to join their government, and drew up a recommendation to the
party's council "to decide not to take part in the government",
officials said.
The officials said Fatah's 134-member revolutionary council would
likely approve the recommendation as early as Sunday, possibly
complicating Hamas's efforts to fulfil its goal of forming a
broad-based cabinet.
Hamas, whose charter vows to destroy Israel, risks losing critical
foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority from the United States and
European Union unless the group disarmed and recognised the Jewish
state.
Officials from Hamas have said they will not compromise their
principles for aid and that alternative funding could come from
Arab and Islamic countries.
Among three reasons cited by Fatah for opposing being part of such
a government was Hamas's failure to recognise past peace agreements
with Israel. The lawmakers also said that the once dominant party
needs time to rebuild after the electoral defeat.
Hamas officials on a visit to Moscow said that while they preferred
a partnership with Fatah, their 74 seats in the 132-member
legislature, plus the guaranteed backing of four independent
lawmakers, could suffice even without Fatah.
Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas's prime minister-designate told Reuters he
still hoped Fatah would decide to join him in a "step in the right
direction to reinforce political partnership".
"I believe a Fatah partnership with us is in the interests of
Fatah", said Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal. Another Hamas official
said Hamas would seek support from other, smaller factions if Fatah
doesn't join.
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