Hamas denies Abbas turned down candidate for coalition government

Sources from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)-led government on Tuesday denied some media reports that President Mahmoud Abbas has turned down the ruling party's candidate to head the new government of national unity.

The Hamas sources told the press that their candidate was the current Health Minister Bassem Naiem who is based in Gaza.

However, Yasser Abed Rabou, a member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), said Abbas had rejected a Hamas candidate because "he lacked the needed specifications for the coming period".

Abed Rabou added that "Prime Minister Ismail Haneya of Hamas has now a limited time to present new names to Abbas."

Abbas arrived in the Gaza Strip Monday night and met with Prime Minister Haneya after mediation efforts succeeded in pushing for a deal on replacing the Hamas administration with a new wider coalition.

The two leaders did not announce any agreement, but they are expected to meet again on Tuesday.

Mustafa al-Barghouti, the independent lawmaker who mediated between the Hamas and the Abbas-led Fatah, told Voice of Palestine radio that the coming talks would focus on choosing a new prime minister for the national unity government.

"We will use fair, well-qualified persons who enjoy national acceptance," said al-Barghouti about the new premier.

According to the deal between the two sides, the new prime minister must be approved from Hamas since it is the majority in the parliament. But the deal also says the new premier must not be a Hamas member.

The agreement to replace the Hamas administration was reached in order to overcome international sanctions and boycott imposed on the Hamas-led government.

In their Monday night meeting, Abbas and Haneya discussed guarantees, put forward by Abbas, to lift the siege on Hamas, said al-Barghouti, describing the whole meeting as positive.

Source: Xinhua