Abbas threats to dissolve Hamas-led gov't "in the suitable time"

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas threatened on Wednesday to use his authorities "in the suitable time" to dissolve the current Hamas-led government and form a coalition government with national unity.

Abbas made the remarks during a joint news conference in Ramallah with Bahraini Foreign Minister Khaled Bin Ahmed Al- Khalifa.

"My constitutional powers, granted by the basic law, will be used in (the suitable) time," Abbas said.

He noted that the dialogue with Hamas on forming the coalition had stopped, saying that "the dialogue now does not exist."

Abbas gave Hamas two weeks to accept a moderate political program over forming a national unity government.

As for forming of the coalition government, Abbas said that " all options would be open" for forming such a new government and the coming two weeks would be decisive.

Abbas has been involved in four-month-old talks with the ruling Hamas movement to form a coalition government in a bid to overcome the political and financial crises facing the government.

However, the dialogue between Abbas and Hamas had reached a stalemate over policy towards Israel.

Key donor countries have cut off funds to the Palestinians since Hamas took power in later March after winning election in January, deepening economic hardship in the West Bank and Gaza.

Hamas has rejected international demands to renounce violence, recognize Israel and honor previous peace deals despite the Western pressure.

Bahraini Foreign Minister Khaled Bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, for his part, said that he had asked the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in a recent meeting with her to support the Palestinian leadership and President Abbas.

"This is a collective role," said the minister, voicing commitment to support the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

After meeting with several Arab Foreign Ministers in Cairo Tuesday, Rice is to meet with Abbas later in the day in Ramallah to push the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Source: Xinhua