Region | Palestinian Territories
Fatah rules out coalition with Hamas after polls
Just three days before crucial polls, Palestinian leaders differed yesterday over whether Hamas could join a new government.
- AP
- Published: 00:00 January 23, 2006
Occupied Jerusalem: Just three days before crucial polls, Palestinian leaders differed yesterday over whether Hamas could join a new government whether or not the group agrees to stop attacks against Israel and back negotiations.
Palestinian Information Minister Nabeel Shaath said Hamas, running for parliament for the first time and expected to do well or even win, must accept the principle of peace with Israel if it wants to share power.
In another interview, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas rejected US pressure to exclude Hamas. "It has to take part and to be part of the political institution and later part of the political decisions," he told the Al Arabiya satellite channel.
Recent polls indicate that Fatah and Hamas are running neck-and-neck ahead of Wednesday's parliament vote. But Shaath said he is confident Fatah will win enough of the legislature's 132 seats to form a government on its own and then offer to share power with parties that accept the US-backed "road map" peace plan and recognise Israel.
"After the election, I think we will establish a government in coalition with the leftist and the independent lists," he said. "With these people, we can agree on a joint programme that includes negotiations with Israel, the implementation of the road map and a ceasefire [with Israel]," Shaath said.
"With Hamas, it will be very difficult to reach a joint programme," Shaath added. "We can't form a coalition with Hamas if it doesn't agree to this programme."
Although known best for its suicide bombings, Hamas has been able to tap a strong grassroots base in its first run for the legislature, capitalising on an image of incorruptibility and decades of large-scale health, education and social projects. Fatah, meanwhile, has been unable to shed its image of corruption or take control of lawless West Bank and Gaza Strip streets.
With Palestinian elections just three days away, Israel, the US and the European Union were still scrambling yesterday to figure out what to do if Hamas, sworn to Israel's destruction, end up dominating the Palestinian parliament.
Israel's acting Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, met with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz and military and intelligence chiefs yesterday to discuss Israel's response to a possible Hamas victory.
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