Ramallah: The five week period agreed upon by Fatah and Hamas to set up a consensus government is set to expire on Wednesday with no final agreement between the two rival Palestinian movements.
The two factions sealed a unity deal in Gaza on April 23 ending seven years of bitter divisions.
Azzam Al Ahmad, member of the Fatah Central Committee and Fatah negotiator with Hamas, announced in Gaza that the Palestinian consensus government will officially be announced on the Thursday or Saturday and that the two factions have agreed that the proposed consensus government will be led by the head of Fatah’s Ramallah-based government, Rami Al Hamdallah.
A senior Fatah official in Ramallah told Gulf News that the ongoing negotiations with Hamas are now focused on the main portfolios, including the interior ministry, the ministry of foreign affairs, the ministry of finance and also the ministry of Awqaf and Islamic endowment.
The official said that the interior ministry portfolio will be given to the Palestinian premier Al Hamdallah himself to suspend a possible dispute between the two factions, adding that the suggestion was close to being accepted by Hamas which also insisted on picking the candidate for the post of deputy prime minister.
That position will be occupied by Zeyad Abu Amr who may also be announced later as the minister of foreign affairs.
Alternatively, that portfolio will be left with the incumbent Riyad Al Malki. The official said that this issue will be agreed upon “soon” during the ongoing meetings between Fatah and Hamas.
The Fatah official said that Khayri Besharah will remain in his post as minister of finance.
As for the post of minister of awqaf and Islamic endowment, Hamas has insisted on removing the current minister Mahmoud Al Habash who was originally a Hamas member but later switched sides to Fatah and who had repeatedly criticised Hamas.
Hamas now insists that Al Habash cannot have any place in a consensus government. The Fatah official said that the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine, Mohammad Hussain, will replace Al Habash to take care of the awqaf ministry.
The official said Ahmad Al Majdalani, the current labour minister, will also be suspended from his portfolio, with Kamal Al Shurafi who is the minister of social affairs looking after the two ministries which are to be integrated into one portfolio.
From Gaza, Maamoun Al Saqa will be the minister of economy and Saleem Al Saqa the minister of justice.
The official said that six more portfolios remain to be filled, stressing that the greatest concern had been for the main portfolios.
The official said that Al Ahmad will presumably return from Gaza with the agreed upon list of 15 ministers to run 19 portfolios. The list will be given to the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for the final approval, will be able to call on the chosen figures to be sworn in as the cabinet ministers.
